Destiny of the Demon
by Persephone Oswald Oleesen
Summary: UNDER RECONSTRUCTION
1. Chapter 1

Destiny of the Demon

By: naruhinafan2010

Email: peoples! I just have a few things to say about this fanfic: It begins directly after Naruto's return with Jiraiya (as many do) and is centered on what happens to Naruto afterwards. Sorry about the part about Konohamaru and the others: I have virtually no information on any of them, and I am rarely allowed to watch the show, so I'm going on what I know about annoying little kids. I apolegize for any misspellings in words (this includes the few Japanese ones as well). This is a Naru/Hina fanfic, so any who do not like that or other pairings don't flame, please? This is my first Naruto fanfic, and if I got too many hurtful comments I do believe it would crush me... Anyways, I did my best and I guess thats all I can ask for, so hope you like it. Oh PS PS: I'd like to send out a thank you to Dame Wren--her story inspired me to begin fanfic-ing. Thank you so much and I hope I make you proud!

Yes, yes, the disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 1

Naruto sighed, a gesture mixed with both relief and weariness as he and his white haired companion stepped inside the gates of Konoha once again. The all too familiar glares returned with, he noted glumly, a new intensity as he took his first steps back to his 'home'. _The villagers have had nothing to glare at all this time I've been away, _he thought, shoving his fisted hands deeper into the pockets of his jeans. _I should be flattered: they've missed __me._

The Toad Senin noticed this and glanced over at his student. During their entire walk home Naruto had been his normal self, going on and on about how when he got back to Konoha he was going to kick everybody's asses and show them how strong he'd gotten. As they'd neared the gates, however, the blonde had sunk deeper and deeper into silence until he was in his current state-- dragging his feet as he walked, shoulders slumped, head down. Jiraiya smiled softly as he realized something-- under stress, this normally jovial sixteen-year-old with the height and strength of a well-trained bodybuilder tended to slump and pout like a child half his age. He shook his head and was about to point this out when a peircing screech brought both of them to a halt.

"NARUTOOOOO!!" A shill voice shrieked, and instantly afterward Naruto was nearly knocked over as something forcefully attatched itself to his middle. Wide-eyed, Naruto glanced down to find wild brown hair much like his own clouding his vision. The kid was saying something into his stomach, and he strained to hear while trying to figure out who in this village would actually want to hug him. Dimly he realized that something was poking painfully into his stomach, and it clicked: a forehead protector. "Konohama-oof!" Before he could finish saying the name, two more bodies attacked his sides, confirming his suspicions as well as knocking him on his ass.

Jiraiya chuckled heartily as Naruto struggled to breathe, the combined weight of Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru effectively crushing his lungs. "Er..Ero Senin! A...a little help, p-please?" He gasped, trying to be heard above cries of "We missed you!" and "We thought you'd never get back!"

Jiraiya eyed him merrily, grinning openly. "I could help. Or I could let you suffocate as payback for nearly three years of nonstop name-calling." His tone had a merciless quality to it, and Naruto instantly suspected his sensei was telling the truth.

Suddenly an ANBU officer appeared in a spiral of leaves beside the white haired Sannin and rapidly began whispering in his ear, all the while staring at the spectacle on the ground. Naruto grinned weakly at the man, fighting the embarrassed blush that began to creep up his neck. Soon Jiraiya nodded, and the man dissapeared in a puff of smoke.

Turning around, the Toad Sanin threw on a pouting look and said, "Well, I guess I have to help you now, seeing as how Tsunade-sama wants to see us immediately."

"No need." Naruto walked up behind his sensei and flung an arm over his shoulders just as the Naruto on the ground dissapeared in a puff of smoke. A shadow clone. Shaking off the initial surprise, the three kids stood up and began beaming over at Naruto. Still sporting their blue ninja sandals, the triplets also had the Konoha headbands to match. Instead of his usual yellow shirt, Konohamaru wore a light blue shirt with the Leaf symbol on it and a pair of grey shorts with black knee pads sewn into them. Udon still had those huge dorky glasses perched on his nose, and his clothing didn't differ at all. It was Moegi who had changed the most over the three year period.

Naruto blinked a few times before he asked, "Moegi? What did you do to your hair?"

She beamed even wider, showing off her canines. Her light brown hair was still in two ponytails on either side of her head, but now they were poofy and spiked in all directions. Several strands of hair framed her face, sticking out from behind her forehead protector. Her dress wasn't too much different: instead of a pink t-shirt under her black vest, she wore a red one, and she wore white shorts. "No offense, Naruto, but even though I am your biggest fan-" Udon elbowed her in the ribs, earning himself a smack on the head- "it is awfully hard to make yourself look like a guy when you're a girl. So, one day, when the Kazekage came to Konoha, I snuck a peek at them to see if there were any girls with them." Closing her eyes at the memory, she continued. "Sure enough, there was a girl with them, the prettiest out of all of them. While the Kazekage and Hokage-sama were meeting, the girl came and talked to our class about life in the Suna, and she was so nice! So, I decided to make myself look like her." A mischevious grin came across her face as she added, "I asked Temari-chan if she liked you, and she rolled her eyes. I think she does!" It was Konohamaru who elbowed her in the ribs this time.

Fighting the blush out of his cheeks, Naruto glanced over at Jiraiya, who had a small grin on his face. _Don't you say a word, _Naruto thought, glaring wearily. "I guess I've gotta go, guys. Wouldn't want ol' Obaa-chan to get bent out of shape 'cause we were late."

Jiraiya nodded. "Though I don't think she _could _get out of shape. Have you noticed how tone she is? I wonder..."

The rest of his comment was silenced by a smack to the top of his head from Naruto, something he had gotten quite used to lately. While the supposed 'wise adult' began his usual rant about disrespectful ninja nowdays, Naruto shook his head, one word going through his head. _Perverts..._

* * *

Tsunade was sitting with her head in her hands when they came in, still trying to convince herself that she didn't need that bottle of sake she kept for those certain occasions when being Hokage was just too much. She looked wearily through her fingers, expecting to see an old pervert and a short blonde loudmouth walk into her office. What she did see was so surprising that the need for alchoholic consumption was temporarily forgotten as she sat straight up in her seat.

The short blonde loudmouth had now became a tall blonde loudmouth, and a handsome one at that. Naruto had shot up to about six feet, and the features of his face were more defined, his cheeks and chin less chunky and more angular. He no longer wore his trademark jumpsuit: obviously he had grown out of it. Instead he wore a white shirt that clung slightly to his newly formed chest muscles. Over it he had on a plain orange jacket with the sleeves rolled up. He wore the usual ninja gloves, black ones with the metal plate sewn into the back. Instead of the bright orange pants, he wore faded blue jeans. It seemed that even his feet had grown: he had replaced his usual blue sandals with tattered sneakers, old from the long travel home. Besides the dishelveled blonde hair, leaf forehead protector, and confident grin, Tsunade really couldn't tell it was Naruto.

Sitting back in her chair, Tsunade smiled wearily. "Well, seems as if someone's changed. Guess it won't take you long to find a girlfriend now, huh?"

As she enjoyed the blush that appeared on the boy's face, Jiraiya spoke. "You sent for us, Tsunade-chan?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I will speak to you later, Jiraiya. As for you, Naruto, you will probably want to go see your friends, am I correct?" To his nod, she replied, "Well, you will also need to prepare. The Chuunin exams are coming up in about a week, and I'm sure you are interested in participating."

A loud whoop pained her ears, but she smiled anyway. "Oh, yeah! I've already got a chance to show everyone how much better I've got! I get to kick Neji's ass again! And I..." He stopped, a thought interrupting his small celebration. Sombering quickly, he asked, "Um, Obaa-chan? Am I the only Genin left in my class?"

Tsunade smiled wider, sitting back upright in her chair and filing through some papers. "You, Hyuga Hinata, and her teammate, Inzuka Kiba."

His eyes went as wide as dinner plates at the names. "What? Hinata-chan didn't make it?" _And what about Kiba? _Naruto thought, arms folded and brow furrowed.

Tsunade sighed, feeling older than she really was as the smile slipped away. "Well, the last time either one of them even participated was three years ago, the exam after you left."

"NANI?!"

She nodded glumly. "We don't know why they just stopped trying, but they did, and Kurenai hasn't been able to get an answer. I don't know, Naruto..."

Then she smiled again, a mischeivious glint in her eye. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you try to get them to try out this year with you? You're their peer, you should have no trouble at all convincing them that they need to try out again. You could think of it as your first mission back."

Even as Jiraiya agreed with her, Naruto was unsure. _How am I supposed to convince them to __try for Chuunin again if they haven't done it for three years? I wonder why they just stopped __trying..._

"...Naruto? Will you do it?" Tsunade was looking at him expectantly, fingers laced on the desk before her. Still unsure of what he could do, Naruto nodded tentatively. Tsunade smiled and continued. "Alright. Go see everyone and when you're done come back. I've got something else to tell you, so-" She sighed as she realized the excited blonde had already left. She shook her head. "Well, I guess now we can talk, Jiraiya."

* * *

Haruno Sakura hadn't seen either of her old Genin teammates in three years. She didn't expect to see either Naruto or Sasuke very soon, so you can imagine the look of surprise on her face when she saw a familiar blonde burst out of the Hokage tower doors, usual grin brightening his face. She was still stunned when he noticed her too and began sprinting over to where she stood in the street, calling her name. This Naruto, the tall, loud, well- toned ninja was nothing like the short shit that had dissapeared three years ago.

Naruto seized Sakura up in a warm bear hug, crying, "Sakura! My god, it's been so long! How have you been?"

"Naruto?" Sakura mumbled, amazed at the strength with which Naruto picked her up. She couldn't keep her eyes off of his upper chest, off of all the muscles that were so well defined by the tight white shirt he wore.

Naruto set his old teammate down, looking her up and down also. She had kept her pink hair short, pulling it back with her forehead protector. In place of her old red dress, she wore a sleeveless shirt in the same style and color as her previous outfit. She wore black shorts and the usual ninja sandals, though they were black as well. She had filled out inside her shirt as well, Naruto noted with a small cough.

The two were silent a few moments before Sakura threw a punch, her fist landing heavily against Naruto's hard chest. "Hey, what was that for?" He cried out, rubbing the spot above his heart where he was sure a bruise would form. He looked down at her. She'd bowed her head, and now her pink hair was hiding her face. He noticed her shoulders were trembling slightly. "Sakura-chan?" He asked, heart hammering.

She looked up and he suddenly realized that she was tearing. "That was for leaving." To this, he hugged her again, brother and sister meeting again after a long time apart. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, and began shaking with silent sobs.

Sakura was surprised. She hadn't expected to react so strongly to seeing Naruto again. She supposed the stress she'd gone through over the last three years probably had a lot to do with the way she was drenching Naruto's shirt. She had been entirely distraught ever since the incident, and when Naruto left, she didn't think she could feel any worse. After a while, though, not having her loudmouth teammate around affected her in more ways than she'd even begun to comprehend. Now that Naruto was back, she would have someone to talk to. Tsunade-sama, Ino, Temari and even Hinata had been by her side when she had needed to talk, but Naruto had actually been as close to Sasuke as she had, though he would never admit it. As this thought crossed her mind, she bit her lip and struggled to quell her incessant tears.

As soon as she'd calmed down, she raised her head from his chest, eyes slightly puffy. "So, you wanna go see everyone else?"

He nodded, grinning softly. "I'd like that."

* * *

So, how'd you like chapter 1? Yeah, I know it was short, but I'm using this chapter as a stepping

stone-- I want to see how the public reacts. Was it okay? Tell me the truth-- I'm dying!

REVIEW, PLEASE!!

_Ch. 2 Preview: How will the other Chuunin react to Naruto's return? Will Naruto be able_

_to figure out why Hinata and Kiba haven't become Chuunin? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!_


	2. Chapter 2

Destiny of the Demon

By: naruhinafan2010

Email: word to my loyal readers:

Yes, yes, I know this chapter came out really quick, but after I'd finished the first one I just couldn't stop myself! Hehehe! Well here's chapter 2 and hope it satisfies you!

PS: Demon of Konoha, thanks for the info. Sorry about the mistake, like I said, I really don't know much about Konohamaru or the others, so there's bound to be quite a few mistakes in here. I'll do the best that I can, and thanks again for the review.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 2

Naruto sighed wearily and glanced ober at his bedside clock. 9:00 A.M. _Damn, I overslept, _he thought, yawning. _I don't even remember going to sleep last night...ah...now I do._

He smiled at the thought of his homecoming party last night. His Chuunin pals had thrown him a party on the outskirts of the village, near the gates. There had been alchohol there, too, courtesy of Shikamaru, but Lee had been careful to drink tea instead. About halfway through the party, someone (Naruto suspected Choji) had slipped some ginger ale into Lee's tea, and the green jumpsuit-clad ninja had gone into a drunken fury affectionately called the 'drunken fist.' Along with Neji, Shikamaru, and Sakura, Naruto had attempted to calm their friend down but to no avail: instead he'd experienced firsthand the power of Lee's drunken fist through a strait punch to the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Afterwards his peers had evidently carried the blonde back to his apartment.

Suddenly he slapped a hand to his forehead as he remembered another tiny detail about yesterday: the supposed 'mission' Obaa-chan had assingned him to do. _How in the hell am I supposed to convince those two to try out again? I don't even know why they stopped trying in the first place! Were they at the party last night? _He couldn't remember.He sighed, then furrowed his brow. _And what is that sound? _He strained his ears, and what he heard sounded like someone coming up the stairs to his apartment. Everything was quiet for a moment, and then--

"Hey Blondie! Wake your ass up!"

"K-Kiba-kun, you s-shouldn't yell like t-that...he might n-not be awake y-yet.."

"Hinata, it's 9 o' clock! If he's not awake now, then we'll just have to wake him up!" Someone began to pound on the door, effectively waking up nearly everyone in Naruto's apartment block.

Hinata and Kiba were standing on his doorstep. _Well, this is convenient, _Naruto thought, hopping up out of bed. He was about to yell for them to come in when a mischevious grin lit his face. _Lets go spy a little bit, _he thought, totally unaware that he was only wearing a pair of grey boxers. He closed the short distance between his bedroom and the front door and peeked through the peep hole in his door.

His stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with live butterflies.

Not because of Kiba, who's longer mane of hair, bigger build, and harder facial features made him look scarier than ever, but because of the girl standing next to him. Her hair had gotten so much longer than it had been before: now the shimmering black-blue locks hung down to around her waist, and it was pulled into a long braid down her back. Her facial features had gotten slightly more defined, and her downcast eyes still held the light lavender glow that he'd first noticed when she'd talked to him during the Chuunin exams three years ago. Though the bulky tan coat she still wore hid her maturing frame fairly easily, there was no mistaking it: the girl had gotten downright beautiful during the time he'd been away.

Realizing what he'd just thought, Naruto shook his head and backed away from the door a few steps. _Whoa. Where did that come from? I think my mind's screwing up: I need ramen. _As if to encourage this quickly made up theory, his stomach rumbled loudly, making him groan in pain. _Need.. ramen..._

"Hey, Ramen boy! I heard that, I know you're in there! Open the door!" Kiba yelled, hearing a slight groan from behind the door. He pounded louder, oblivious to the muttering of two people who'd peeked out of the apartment door beside Naruto's, shaking their heads at the loud teen.

"K-Kiba-kun... I think w-we should-"

"Hinata, calm down," Kiba said wearily, turning to his teammate. He spoke in a slightly softer voice as his eyes met her timid lavender ones. "You know you want to see the loudmouth just as much as anyone, and besides, Hokage-sama said he needed to speak to us. So relax." He smiled kindly down at her when he noticed her blush, then proceeded to pound on the door again. "Hey Naru-"

He stopped when he noticed that the door was open and a man was standing in the doorway. This guy reminded him vaguely of Naruto and smelt like Naruto, he noted, wrinkling his oversensitive nose, but he was a whole lot taller than Kiba had thougt Naruto could ever get. Kiba himself was six foot two, a giant in most people's eyes. The blonde standing before them was nearing six feet himself and had also developed a six pack. _Wow, _he thought, _maybe that Jiraiya guy did something right. _Then Kiba vaguely noticed that Naruto was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

Naruto saw it coming first: he leapt into action as soon as he saw Hinata's eyelids flutter. Darting out, he caught the girl just before she hit the floor, slightly surprising himself with the speed of his reaction. Then he flushed a bright crimson when he realized why Hinata had fainted: he was only half clothed.

Above him, Kiba sighed, though there was a humorous tone to the gesture. "I knew she'd faint when she saw you again. I just didn't know she'd go down so soon. That's Hinata for you, I guess... C'mon, Naruto, let's go inside..." Stepping over the blonde, he walked into the apartment.

Hesitantly, face still burning, Naruto gingerly picked the sleeping girl up and reentered the apartment behind Kiba, kicking the door shut behind him. He crossed the living room quickly and entered his bedroom, laying Hinata down on the unmade bed. He stared at her sleeping form for a few seconds before he heard footsteps behind him. Standing upright, he heard Kiba complaining behind him. "Ugh, your entire apartment smells like stale ramen... Not that it's surprising at all..."

Naruto snorted sarcastically as he turned to face Kiba, hands on hips. "Alright, Kiba, enlighten me: what are you two doing here so early?"

Kiba folded his arms and frowned down at the annoying loudmouth. "Early? Man, even after three years you're still as lazy as ever..."

Naruto opened his mouth to retaliate, but Kiba cut him short. "Whatever. We just came over here because Hokage-sama said you wanted to talk to us about something, so how's about this: you get dressed, we wait until Hinata wakes up, and then we all go down to Ichiraku's and get some breakfast. What do you say?"

Naruto's face lit up like a light. "Alright! For once you have a good idea!"

Kiba huffed. "I've had better ideas than those having to do with food..."

* * *

It took less than fifteen minutes for Hiinata to awaken, and even then Naruto had to stay out of his room while Kiba eased her out of her embarassment. Another five minutes passed by, and Naruto was about to scream with impatience when the bedroom door opened and Kiba emerged, a timid Hinata following close behind. Upon laying eyes on her, Naruto again got that fluttery feeling in his stomach, but he blamed it on his hunger. Throwing on a wide smile, he cried, "C'mon, Hinata-chan, 

lets go!" Seizing her arm he bounded out of his apartment, Kiba following after and shaking his head. Hinata was speechless, allowing the boy of her dreams to drag her about like a rag doll. The two had to endure the blonde's antics until they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen Shop, where he was too focused on his ramen to embarass either of them too much. When the three were finished, Naruto had countless empty bowls before him on the counter, Kiba had five, and Hinata had one empty bowl and one empty tea cup. Naruto paid for his own, and Kiba paid for his and Hinata's much to the girl's dismay.

"I-I could've p-paid for my own, Kiba-k-kun," Hinata murmured softly as the three left the shop, Kiba walking in the middle, Hinata on his left, and Naruto on his right. Naruto thanked the gods that the other two were occupied, glad they didn't see the looks he was getting from the villagers.

Kiba waved away her feeble words, shaking his full mane of hair. "Really, Hinata, you didn't eat much. It was no trouble." Leaving her to stare at the ground, Kiba turned to Naruto. "So, Ramen boy, what did you want to talk to us about?"

"Oh, _that._" Naruto sighed, preparing to tell them what Obaa-chan had told him yesterday. "Well, since I just got back, I am technically still a Genin, and I heard that you two were too, and I was just wondering why." He said this all fairly quickly and snuck a peek at the two when he'd finished. Hinata was staring wide-eyed at the ground, while Kiba's countenance had taken on more of a weary grimace.

Sighing, Kiba turned back to Hinata. "Hinata, I think you're going to have to tell him why." She looked up at him with something near horror painted on her pretty features, and to this he shook his head. "I'm not tellin' him, babe, that's where you come in." She refocused her attention on the ground, and Kiba sighed again. "Hey, Naruto, do you mind if we go into the forest to talk about this?" He asked, looking forward once again.

Overly confused, Naruto could only shake his head.

"Good." The threesome didn't converse after that, only walked through Konoha's streets together while lost in their own worlds, Hinata looking horrified, Kiba looking weary and Naruto still wearing that confused look. They finally came to the gates, stopping as one as they wondered individually where they should go.

An uncertain voice spoke up. "Follow me, I-I know a p-place," Hinata murmured, startling both of her companions out of their reverie and making them both look at her. She blushed, but her face had lost the look it carried earlier-- now only a look of determination wound its way through her features, and suddenly Naruto felt at peace as he simply stared at her. She turned and began to wind her way slowly through the trees, Naruto and Kiba following silently after. A few minutes passed, and Naruto suddenly found himself in a clearing about 22 ft wide. This entire space was covered sparsely with flowers of all different colors, and the trees above blocked out all but a few rays of sunlight that fell onto the forest floor, giving the entire place a mystical feeling.

In awe, Naruto stopped and gawked at the beautiful place around them. "Where.. What is this place?"

Smiling slightly, Hinata walked into one of the darker areas of the clearing and sat down, followed by Kiba. "This is where I come when I just need to get away from it all... Where I come to train when I have free time... It's my 'home away from home', in a sense."

"Oh." Naruto closed the distance between him and the other two and plopped down beside Hinata. She tensed, but then relaxed by a sheer force of will. "So, why are you guys still Genin?"

Hinata's form sagged as she resigned herself to explain to Naruto why she gave up. "Well... After I lost t-to Neji-niisan, f-father was angry. He told m-me I'd better pass the next exam o-or he'd take me out of my place as the c-clan heir. Well, a year went by, and I trained and I trained, b-but as the Ch-Chuunin exams neared, I... I lost all m-my confidence. I-I was alright during the first two parts, b-but..." She just couldn't seem to force herself to continue.

Naruto looked past her at Kiba as he put two and two together, wide-eyed stare seeming to say _She didn't have to face _him _again, did she?_ The look on Kiba's face was all Naruto needed as a reply.

"By a cruel trick of fate, Hinata had to face that bastard Neji again," Kiba stated hatefully, taking up the story where his teammate left off. Hinata gave him a wide-eyed look at the language he'd used to describe her cousin, and he shrugged angrily. "What? You know he is, Hinata, don't look at me that way."

Hinata began shakily, "A-after I was b-beaten by N-Neji-niisan again, f-father removed m-me from h-heirship and replaced m-me with Ha-Hanabi." She was trying her best not to cry, shoulders trembling with the sobs that she fought to keep inside. "He-he forbade m-me to t-try out f-for C-Chu-Chuunin again, at least w-while wearing the f-family c-c-crest..."

As she fought to keep the tears in, a weary Kiba continued, though Naruto was unsure whether he wanted to hear anymore or not. "And that's where my part comes in. My match was scheduled after Hinata's, and after she told me all about what happened, I couldn't become a Chuunin, not while she was in her situation. So, before my match had even began, I resigned. Shino would've, too, but he had already fought, he was already a Chuunin. I swore I wouldn't become a Chuunin without her, and so... If she stays a Genin, so do I."

Hinata suddenly launched herself at Naruto, finally letting the tears out. She clung to him while he sat there, stunned by their story and by the shaking sobbing girl on him. He trembled also, but out of anger. How could Hiashi be such an asshole? Didn't he realize what he was doing to his own daughter, or did he even care?! He wrapped his arms around the weeping Hinata, whispering nonsense words of comfort into her ear. Kiba sat where he was, slouching and staring at the ground with a bleak look in his eyes.

Their time in this exact position stretched over an hour, and finally Hinata had calmed down. Naruto proceded to lift her weak body off of him when he realized something: she was asleep, had cried herself into an exhausted repose. After another vow of revenge against Hiashi, Naruto gently pulled Hinata off of him and laid her down on the ground beside him, dimly noticing that his front was absolutely soaked. He stood and motioned for Kiba to follow him. The other boy stood, stretched, and followed the blonde to the edge of the clearing.

After a while of just staring off into the distance, Naruto inhaled, about to begin.

Kiba beat him to it. "We've got to convince her to try out this year."

Naruto looked over at him, inquisitive look on his face.

Kiba nodded. "If we try out as a team this year, I know she'd make it. I know, because you're here now."

Naruto frowned. "What does me being here have to do with anything?"

The other boy looked over at Naruto for a long time before answering. "Not even I'm denser than you. I think you even top Choji in that degree."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto cried out, earning himself a sharp smack on the top of the head.

Shaking his head, Kiba hissed, "Don't wake her up, dimwit!" After a few more seconds, he sighed. "Look, suffice it to say that without you here to cheer her on, Hinata lost all confidence in herself. The only reason she was even able to fight that asshole the first time was because of your urging."

"But didn't you and the others cheer her on the second time?"

_I swear, I am going to rip this kid's head off of his shoulders..._ Taking a deep breath, Kiba said, "Look, all I can tell you is whenever you cheer her on, it boosts her confidence in herself more than you or I will ever know. I just know that if we try it again, and you're on our team, she'll know you've got her back, no matter what! She will be the best asset to our team if we can just convince her to participate this year, with or without her damn family crest."

Suddenly Kiba held out his overlarge hand, a determined look in his eyes. "So, are you with me, partner?"

* * *

"NO! No, no, no, no, NO! Absolutely not!" 

The look in Jiraiya's eyes was starting to bug the hell out of Tsunade. "I don't need to repeat myself, do I, Jiraiya?"

"But, you know, it would get you out of this stuffy office for a while, and it would relieve so much stress-"

"NoIamabsolutelynotgoingonadatewithyousoyoucanjustquitaskingmeRIGHTNOW!!" The Hokage thundered, scaring birds three miles away from their perches in the trees.

Having stood up to yell at her teammate, Tsunade promptly fell back into her chair, exhausted. A nice night away from the office was probably something she needed, but she didn't want to spend it with a perverted hermit. She sighed and opened her eyes, ready for another try. Surprisingly, her office was empty. She closed her eyes again, thinking for the upteenth time how similar the Toad Senin and his pupil were so much alike.

As if on cue, Naruto came bursting into the office. "You wanted to see me, Obaa-chan?"

Tsunade smiled weakly and sat back up. "Yes, in fact I did, Naruto. I've got something for you. Catch!" She exclaimed, suddenly throwing something at him. In a split second, he'd pulled a kunai out and tossed it at the object, pinning it to the wall behind Tsunade. As the ninja tool embedded itself into the wall, Naruto realized that the object he'd thought was dangerous was a simple key on a ring. Expecting something to be imbedded into his skull, Naruto braced himself for the inevitable onslaught, squeezing his eyes shut.

Instead, he heard a laugh. His eyes flew open to see a merry Tsunade pulling the kunai and key out of her wall, not even giving a second glance at the hole he'd made. "Well, I can't say you don't have reflexes, kid," she said, walking around her desk and handing the key to him.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my Hokage?!"

She chuckled again and replied, "Ah, kid, you will never know."

Naruto looked down at the key in his hand. "What's this to?"

Tsunade walked back around her desk. Sitting down, she said, "That is the key to your new house. The previous owner is long since gone, he won't mind if you have it."

"WOW! ARE YOU SERIOUS MY OWN HOUSE?!?! OH THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!" Naruto exclaimed, launching himself up onto Tsunade's desk and scattering several papers while pumping his fists up in the air. "LOOK AT ME NOW, IRUKA SENSEI!! HAHAHA... hehe..." Naruto suddenly noticed the look on Tsunade's face; she looked angrier than he'd ever seen her. "Um...Obaa-chan?"

"NARUTOOO!!!"

­

* * *

So, how was Chapter 2? Much more stuff happened in this one and it set the story going nicely, didn't it? Please, I'm begging you: GIVE ME REVIEWS!!! I don't know how I'm gonna survive if I don't get some reviews... Begins sobbing into stranger's shoulder Ahem, well, anyway, that's about it. Goodnight, fanfiction fanatics!! 

_Chapter 3 Preview: What does Naruto's new house look like? How will Naruto and Kiba convince Hinata to participate in the Chuunin Exams? Why are these previews always so cheesy? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!_


	3. Chapter 3

Destiny of the Demon

**By: naruhinafan2010 **

How do you all think the story's going? I really need to know. Hope it's satisfying you all so far and here's the next installment! PS: I like this fic too! THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 3

Hinata awoke, feeling warm and cozy. At first she thought she was back at home and in her bed, having dreamt the entire day. Then she realized that the cloth covering her up was not her own blanket, but a jacket. An orange jacket.

She sat straight up. The room she was in was dark, too dark to see anything. She could tell where she was instantly after she took a deep breath.

_Stale ramen, _she thought slowly, the truth dawning on her as her eyes widened. She suddenly launched herself out of the bed and activated her Byakugan. Looking around, she instantly saw someone in the next room. She walked slowly towards the half-closed door and eased it open. A single candle sat on a table beside a tattered looking couch. On the couch, she could just make out wild blonde hair above a sickly green blanket.

She walked back to the bed and sat down, the veins near her eyes fading as she dropped her bloodlimit. The bed was poorly made, and she had been laid on the top blanket. She guessed that this was Naruto's bed, and suddenly her mind began wandering about the idea that he slept in this bed every day. With a crimson face she pulled back the covers and slipped inside. It was warm and it still smelt like stale ramen, but it comforted her all the same. Frowning, she thought something was missing. She sat up and grabbed the orange jacket off of the floor and wrapped it around her once again. Smiling, she laid back down, thinking about the day.

As she thought about this morning, her face reddened even more. She had seen Naruto without a shirt on! Even worse, she had passed out right afterwards and hadn't even been able to get a good look at his newly formed muscles. She sniffed, tears instantly forming as she thought, _I've probably creeped him out so bad, now he'll never be friends with me, oh, I'm so stupid..._

"Hinata? What's wrong?"

Her eyes snapped open as she heard the voice. Startlingly close to her was Naruto, features etched with concern. She could see the sleep in his eyes and instantly felt guilty for waking him up, though she didn't know how she had awakened him: she hadn't said a word. He was kneeling beside the bed, and Hinata noticed with mixed feelings that he had a white t-shirt on, covering his well-defined chest.

"Hinata-chan? Are you crying?"

"Um... N-no, Naruto-k-kun," She murmured, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "N-Naruto-kun?"

"Mmm?" Naruto asked, still staring at her through the darkness. Even though her features were partly hidden by the cloak of darkness, his stomach still filled with butterflies as he looked at her. _Maybe I'm still hungry..._

"... What am I d-doing... at y-your h-house?" She asked, face turning red as she tried unsucessfully to hide herself from him under the covers.

He smiled at her, making her heart melt. "You fell asleep in the forest, and neither Kiba nor I wanted to take you home, so we let you crash at my place." Concern melded his features again as he asked, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Father w-will be f-furious..." She murmured, sinking even lower into the blankets. To her dismay, the blonde threw the covers off of her and sat down beside her on the bed.

"Screw him, Hinata!" He cried out, and she jumped at the angry sound of his voice. He had never spoken to her that way, and no one had ever spoken about her father that way.

"N-Naruto-kun, you sh-shouldn't say things l-like th-that..."

"And why the hell not? Really, Hinata, you can't sit there and honestly say that he cares about you, can you? I mean, what kind of dad treats his own daughter like trash?" He glared determinedly down at her, the sleep gone from his eyes.

"Ano..." Hinata knew Naruto was right, and yet she still couldn't bring herself to agree with him.

Suddenly he put his left hand on her arm, shocking her. "Hinata..." She looked up at him, and saw an uncharacteristic sadness in his eyes as he looked down at her. "... Tell me, what do you plan on doing now that you aren't the heir to the Hyuga clan anymore? Do you plan on letting your entire life waste away inside those walls?"

Hinata shrugged sadly, tears already pouring out of her light lavender eyes. She only knew what her father wanted her to become. She'd never really thought about what she wanted, besides the boy before her.

Naruto bowed his head, barely trusting his voice. "... You can't do that, Hinata. You can't let your friends down. You can't let me down..."

Her eyes opened wide and she looked up at him, tears fuzzing her vision.

He looked at her then, tears filming around his own eyes as he continued. "But furthermore, you can't let yourself down."

Naruto turned towards her then and held out his right hand to her. "Let's make a deal, okay? You participate in the Chuunin Exams this year with Kiba, with or without your family crest, and I'll be the third member on your team. How's about that?"

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. Here was the man of her dreams, asking her to participate in this year's exam in exchange for his being a part of her team. It was a dream come true. Sure, it was going to be difficult to enter the exam without the Hyuga family crest, but with both Naruto-kun and Kiba-kun on her side, she would be able to make it. She was willing to face her father for love.

She grinned.

The early morning light woke Kiba from his slumber. He rolled over onto the edge of his bed and looked down. There, on the floor beside the bed was his surprisingly large 'puppy'. Akamaru snored softly in sleep, and Kiba grinned. The white haired mutt was sleeping so peacefully that Kiba thought he may be able to get out of the house today without him tagging along. Kiba sat up slowly, trying not to allow his creaky old bed to squeak like it usually did in his restless sleep.

As if knowing what Kiba was trying to do, Akamaru sat up slowly and huffed at his master. Knowing he wasn't going anywhere now without the dog, Kiba grinned and muttered a quiet "C'mere, mutt." Akamaru instantly bounded onto the bed beside his master and began licking his face instantly. Kiba endured this until he didn't think his face could get any wetter. "Ok, alright Akamaru, you win! You can come with me." Akamaru barked happily, his voice not high anymore: now his bark was centered around a deep baritone voice, shaking the bedroom walls. Kiba laughed.

After a quick breakfast with his mother and younger sister, Kiba and Akamaru headed over to Naruto's apartment building, the quiet morning air cooling his face and ruffling his messy mane of hair. His dark hair easily reached past his shoulders now, and he couldn't even fit it all into the hood of his grey blue jacket now if he'd wanted to. His mother fussed at him all the time to get it all cut off, and it was about to get to him. Having all this hair was a bit of a hinderance in battle, he'd noticed, and he got hot very quickly with it all laying on his neck. Shaking his head, he pushed it into the back of his mind as he entered the door of Naruto's apartment block.

As he walked up the stairs, he thought Naruto would probably still be asleep, but out of experience he knew that Hinata awoke at the crack of dawn every day, usually out practicing before everyone else, trying to get stronger while no one was looking. Smiling, he knocked softly on the door, a relief to Hinata, who was sitting on the floor beside the couch watching Naruto sleep. She was glad that Kiba hadn't beat on the door again, because then Naruto might have woken up and seen her staring at him. Growing crimson at the thought, Hinata tried to shake it off as she walked over to the door. Opening it, she saw her friend's grinning face. "Kiba-kun! Come in, h-he's still sleeping..."

Taking a second glance at her face as he passed, he grinned even wider. "What have you been doing, huh? Watchin' your Ramen boy sleep?"

Trying to hide her embarassment, Hinata bent down as she saw who accompanied Kiba. "Oh, y-you brought Ak-Akamaru, too! Come h-here, boy."

As Hinata greeted his dog, Kiba walked around to the front of the couch, oversensitive nose twitching. _Ugh, that smell..._ "So, Hinata, did he talk to you? About taking the Chuunin exams again?"

Walking over to stand beside Kiba, she nodded, head down.

He glanced questioningly at her. "And?"

She looked up, a trace of a smile on her pale face. "I-I said we'd d-do it if h-he'd b-be on our team." She finished the last part quickly, looking up into his face for some kind of reaction. "You don't m-mind, d-do you?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Nah, I've gotten kinda tired of being a Genin, anyways." Knowing that wasn't what she'd meant and not wanting to answer the question coming, Kiba quickly turned and sat down on the couch, positioning himself so that he sat right on Naruto's stomach.

The commotion made was horrendous. "NANI!! KIBA, YOU ASSHOLE!! GET YOUR FAT ASS OFF OF ME!!" Naruto screamed, instantly awake. He began pummeling Kiba's right side with both fists, an action that didn't seem to be doing any damage to Kiba, who was laughing heartily.

"'Morning, Sunshine," Kiba exclaimed, standing up and turning, backing away from the couch in preparation for the attack that he knew would follow.

Once Naruto could breath again, he launched himself at Kiba and at once got tripped by the large Akamaru, who'd been fighting against Hinata's grip on his collar to get in between the blonde and his master. Hinata, who'd just fallen backwards after letting the collar go, shrieked as she saw Naruto hit the floor. "Gomenasai, Naruto-kun, are you okay?" She cried, rushing to his side.

Her apolegy was drowned out by Akamaru, who was going crazy, barking in his low baritone at Naruto, and Kiba, who was still laughing insanely. None of the three heard the man at the door, screaming something at them.

Kiba noticed the man first. He instantly stopped laughing and cried, "Down, boy!" This made Akamaru stop barking immediately and sit down on his haunches.

Naruto noticed the instant quiet and looked up. Standing in the open doorway was his landlord. "Ano, good morning, sir!" He said shakily, smiling and waving lightly from the floor.

The man took a deep breath before he began. "Okay, I know Hokage-sama told me I couldn't throw you out, but this is just too much. You and your friends have woken everyone else in this apartment block up twice in a row now. It's time I take my pleas to the Hokage once again. Gomen, Mr. Uzumaki, but-"

"No, no, don't drag Obaa-chan into this," Naruto pleaded, standing up and holding up his hands. "I'll leave. Ok? I'll be out before the day is through. Ok? Sir?"

Surprised by the behavior of the demon, all the man could muster was a "Hai" before turning and walking down the stairs.

Both Kiba and Hinata were instantly filled with guilt, and even Akamaru seemed to know what they'd done: the dog laid down on the messy floor and covered up his mug with an oversized paw.

Naruto turned to them, surprising them both by laughing and putting both hands behind his head. "Hehe, don't judge him by what you just saw, he really is a nice old man..."

"Oh, Naruto-kun! Gomenasai! Gomenasai!" Hinata exclaimed, eyes already leaking tears, as she covered her face with her hands. She continued to say "I'm sorry" through her hands, the words muffled by her skin.

Naruto opened his eyes wide and stared at her. "Hinata? Why are you crying?"

She murmured something intellegible, and to Naruto's look of confusion Kiba said, "We just got you kicked out of your house, dude."

"Oh! Well, don't cry about that, Hinata-chan! I was gonna move out anyway!" Naruto laughed, patting her akwardly on the shoulder. Kiba raised an eyebrow and Hinata looked up from her hands, both waiting for an explanation. "Obaa-chan gave me a key last night, when I went to see her after we brought Hinata-chan over to my house. She said something about it being the key to my new house, and the old owner was gone, so I could have it. So yeah, I was going to move out anyway."

The three of them were silent for a while before Naruto smiled again. "So, wanna help me pack?"

"So, Naruto, where is this so called new house?" Kiba asked, carrying a bag of plastic dishes. They were walking down Konoha's streets, Naruto leading the way and the other two following after, Kiba on his right side and Hinata opposite.

"I don't really know," Naruto answered sheepishly, tossing the bag of clothing over his shoulder. He'd thrown out all of his old orange jumpsuits: the only clothes in the bag was the outfit he'd wore home, the worn-out sneakers, and some socks and underwear.

"You d-don't know where y-your house i-is, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, carrying a bag with only a few objects in it-- an alarm clock, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and (to her delight) the bottle of ointment she'd given him three years ago at the Chuunin exam.

"No, I've gotta go ask Obaa-chan," Naruto replied, smiling over his shoulder at her, making her blush. "She got kinda mad at me last night for jumping up on her desk, so I never got a chance to ask. Oh, and I'm sorry you guys had to help me clean out my apartment."

"For the thousandth time, Naruto, it was no trouble! It only took us ten minutes! We packed all of your belongings into three plastic bags!" Kiba replied exasperatedly, looking wide-eyed over at Hinata. She smiled and shrugged.

Naruto was about to reply but then caught sight of the Hokage tower. "Ok, I'll be right out, you guys." Handing the light bag of clothing to Hinata, he hurried into the building.

Grimacing, Kiba muttered, "Geez, that's what I hate about sensitive guys. They're so annoying!" When Hinata giggled, Kiba smiled over at her. Shuffling his feet a little, he continued. "Hinata... To be honest, I didn't like the idea of Ramen boy being on our team at first, but it's alright. Really," He said as she gave him sort of a sideways glance. "I think he's alright. He's sure strong enough to be a great asset to our team, and... he's bound to realize it sooner or later. Don't worry."

She smiled sadly, and before he could reply Naruto bounded out of the Hokage tower, followed by a white haired man. They were talking animatedly about the house.

"... two stories, and a big ole' courtyard out front, and..." Jiraiya broke off as he noticed Hinata and Kiba. "Good morning, you two! I see this lazy bum made you help him clean out his apartment, hmm?" Kiba and Hinata laughed, and over Naruto's cries of protest Jiraiya continued. "Well, lets go see this house, shall we?"

To Hinata's dismay, the house was all the way on the othe side of the village, even farther from her house than Naruto's old apartment had been. She easily hid her dissapointment behind amazement as they approached the house.

It was huge. The house was two stories and did in fact have a huge courtyard out in front. A large stone wall hid most of the yard from view, but a steel gate with fancy gridwork allowed them a peek inside. Taking out the key, Naruto uncertainly stuck it into the lock on the gate and twisted. Immediately the lock clicked, and the gate swung inward.

Naruto grinned from ear to ear at them, and the thrilled look in his eyes melted Hinata's heart. _He's never had anything like this before, has he?_ _He's never been anything close to rich..._

As they entered the courtyard, Kiba whistled. "Wow, this yard is _gigantic! _I think it's even bigger than our yard!"

"I think it's a-about the same size a-as ours," Hinata murmured, and Naruto smiled at her. She felt happy for Naruto when she laid eyes on his courtyard, but when she thought about her own and about the Hyuga house, her eyes clouded as she remembered that she'd stayed at Naruto's last night: her father would indeed be furious.

Noticing this, Naruto at once knew what she was thinking about. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Shit! Hinata, gomenasai! You still haven't went home yet!" He took the bag away from her as she looked up at him, wide-eyed. "C'mon." Turning, he tossed the two bags he held and the key to Jiraiya. "You guys go on ahead and go in! I've gotta get Hinata back home or Hiashi's gonna shit himself!"

Nodding in agreement, the Toad Senin turned back to the house, followed by Kiba.

Turning and grabbing Hinata's arm, Naruto began sprinting down the road, once again dragging Hinata behind like a rag doll. After they'd gone a few blocks, his sweaty palm soon got the best of him, and his hand slid down her arm onto her hand. She just knew he was going to let go of her hand and grab her arm again, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he threaded his fingers through her own and squeezed her hand, seemingly sending a shockwave of surprise into her. She stumbled and almost fell, but he caught her, and after making sure she was alright he began running again, hand still gripping hers.

It wasn't long before the two made it to the Hyuga clan house, and as impatient as he was, Naruto didn't wait for someone to come open the gate to the courthouse. Instead, he picked Hinata up, who gave a small "Eep!" of surprise, and jumped the wall. He ran up to the door before letting her down, and the two just stood there for a while and stared at the door.

Intending to tell him goodbye, Hinata turned to Naruto, and at the same time they both seemed to register that their fingers were still laced. Jumping back away from each other, they both blushed and hid their faces in any way possible: Hinata bowed her head and allowed her bangs to cover her red face, while Naruto turned his own face to the cloudless sky above, willing the burning to go down.

Hinata was the first to speak. "Well, I guess I'd better go in."

Naruto nodded, still inspecting the sky. "Yeah... Wouldn't want your father to get angry."

She smiled at the lack of cursewords in his reply, then turned to go into the house.

"Hinata..."

She looked back, the quiet voice surprising her. She saw Naruto looking seriously at her, and his sharp gaze made her blush. "H-hai, Naruto-kun?"

"Don't let him... don't stay long, Ok? Come back over tonight, alright?" Throwing on that goofy lopsided smile, he imitated Lee's nice guy pose and exclaimed, "'We still have yet to begin training for the Chuunin exams, my friend!'"

She giggled at his imitation and blushed when he called her his friend. "Hai, Naruto-kun. I-I'll see you l-later."

As much as she detested doing so, she opened the door and went inside, leaving Naruto on the doorstep.

She found her father and Hanabi, her younger sister, sitting at the low table in the dining room, eating lunch. Bowing low, she murmured, "Hello, father. O-genki desu ka?"

"Genki desu, Hinata," Her father replied, not looking at her. Hanabi stared down at her plate, wishing she was anywhere but here. "We missed you last night."

"I was staying at a friend's house. Gomenasai, father," Hinata replied, head bowed, hands behind her back. This was how she was instructed to speak to her father ever since she was capable of walking.

"Since when do you have any friends?"

His words hit her like a ton of bricks. All the way here she told herself she wasn't going to lose it like she usually did this time, but her words seemed to dissolve as the tears began to nip at her eyelids. She bit her lip, trying to steady herself. "Gomenasai."

Hiashi took a sip out of his flask still not looking at her. "I expect to see you home tonight, yes?"

"H-hai, father," She murmured, mentally kicking herself for slipping. "Onegai shimasu, sumimasen."

She walked slowly out of the room, not collapsing until she was outside of the Hyuga estate gates and safe in Naruto's embrace once again.

How was that chapter? Good, no? I think I owe all of my faithful readers a little explanation here, considering the last part of this chapter was absolutely crawling with confusing dialogue, so I decided to make a sort of mini dictionary here at the bottom of this chapter.

Gomenasai- I'm sorry

Hai- yes

Ano- Um...

Nani- A word Naruto uses to express confusion

O-genki desu ka- How are you

Genki desu- Fine, thank you

Onegai shimasu, sumimasen- Please, excuse me

Please, review. I thank all of you again who reviewed my first and second chapters (I especially enjoyed reading the one about sending Frankenstein's angry mob after me if I didn't update soon ). I hope you've all enjoyed the story so far and I'll try to get the next installment up as quick as I can!

_Chapter 4 Preview: When the new team begins to train, will Naruto's developing feelings for Hinata hinder them? Will Hinata really be able to face her father if she participates in the exam? What will Hiashi do when he finds out what his daughter plans on doing? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!! _


	4. Chapter 4

Destiny of the Demon

**By: naruhinafan2010 **

Hello, my loyal readers! I'm really excited about how this fanfic is coming out and I wish my fingers could type faster so I could dish out the chapters quicker! Oh well, I guess we can't win them all... Anyway, Destiny of the Demon: Ch. 4 is UP, and I had fun writing it! ENJOY!! By the way, if any of you who are reading this are authors yourselves, listening to Nickelback while you write helps somehow, don't ask me why, but I think it helps me keep the story running at the same pace. I apolegize for the longer wait for this chapter and I hope I did justice to your expectations!

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

PS: In the beginning, we are in Naruto's POV, just in case you were confused.

CHAPTER 4

_After I'd gotten Hinata calmed down, we walked back to my new house where we caught Jiraiya and Kiba in some very interesting situations. We found Kiba in the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear as he held a pair of scissors in his left hand. Hinata began to question what he was smiling about but stopped as we noticed as one what made him so jovial. _

_Kiba had cut his hair. It now stopped around the bottom of his ears in the back, though he'd kept it long in the front, sort of like how Hinata's hair used to look. Using scissors hadn't allowed a very neat cut, but it looked better than it would have if a barber had done the job. It looked scrappy, but it mirrored Kiba's personality: hard and rough-looking, though unable to hurt a fly. I myself had been quite shocked at the new look, and I'd naturally laughed my orange ass off, earning a slight giggle from Hinata and a phone book in the face from Kiba. Both he and I had been ready to settle our differences there and then, but in that way that she just can Hinata managed to calm both of us down enough to where we weren't at each other's necks anymore. Afterwards the three of us went looking for Ero- Senin, and we found him up on the second floor in the master bedroom, sure enough looking at porno magazines. This time I was oblivious to the effects of Hinata's calming presence: I ended up tossing my old sensei out the window, along with any and all of those damn magazines I could find. _

_It wasn't until after those two enjoyable events that the three of us remembered about the upcoming exam, and how we were supposed to be training. So, after making sure Jiraiya had really left my house, I locked the courtyard door and we began training. Well, sort of. First we had to figure out exactly _how _we were going to train, and this is where we begin..._

"So, what have you two learned while I was gone?" Naruto asked, pacing around before his teammates. Hinata was sitting on her knees, scratching a relaxed Akamaru behind the ears, and Kiba was leaning against the grey wall, staring blankly at the sky.

"Well, I've been d-developing a n-new skill w-with my Byakugan ," Hinata murmured, cheeks reddening as she saw Kiba look down at her from the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Hinata, you didn't tell me that!"

"I... It was s-supposed to b-be a sur-surprise," She replied, smiling slightly.

"Really?" Naruto sat on his haunches before her, causing her to redden even more. "What can you do?"

"Well..." She looked up at Naruto and grinned sheepishly, making his heart skip a beat. "I-I'm not sure." To his look of confusion, she looked down at Akamaru again. "It seems as if, when I l-look at a p-person with the B-Byakugan activated, I might b-be able to an-anticipate their n-next move when they b-build up their ch-chakra." She reddened even more as that old feeling of being a failure returned. "B-but I have no one t-to t-teach me, and I d-don't know h-how t-to develop it any f-farther on my own..."

To her surprise, Naruto jumped up and whooped. "Wow, that's so cool, Hinata-chan! If we find a sensei, then they can help you and our team will kick some major ass!"

Kiba grinned. "Hell yeah! The only thing we have to do is find someone who knows the Byakugan in and out _and _would be willing to tutor Hinata. Obviously, we can't ask Hinata's dad, so... maybe Neji?"

"Nah, that asshole wouldn't teach Hinata-chan," Naruto replied, crossing his arms.

"Yeah.. I wouldn't want him teaching Hinata anything anyway."

"Kiba-kun... You k-know Neji-niisan apolegized." Hinata said this in a soft tone of voice, almost softer than her normal voice.

"He _did?_" Naruto asked, surprised that big, bad, and proud Neji would actually apolegize to someone, especially Hinata.

"It doesn't matter, Hinata! You oughta make him apolegize over and over again for what he did! I mean, he could've killed you! That was his intent!" Thinking back to that match, all Kiba could do was shudder. All that blood coming out of small Hinata's mouth... He'd had nightmares for over a month.

So had Naruto.

Shaking her head, Hinata replied, "Well, he apolegized, and y-you can't forget h-he has t-tutored me before. D-don't you r-remember wh-when he taught me the D-Divine Spin?"

Kiba shook his head in disgust before continuing. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. If you've been developing this skill all on your own, then I doubt Neji would know anything about it. So, who is going to tutor you? Hmm..."

The three were lost in thought for a while before an unfamiliar voice broke them from their seperate reveries. "I think I can help you with that."

As one, the startled team looked up to the grey stone wall. There, behind Kiba, sat a woman. She looked no older than them and could even pass for a Genin herself: she wore a deep green T-shirt, and over it she had on a black vest. She wore black capris with steel knee pads sewn into them and the usual ninja gloves and sandals. Though she looked about sixteen, two things stood out about this girl: her white hair and strange, silver eyes. Her hair, reaching to around her elbows, was bleached with nothing but age, and many years of knowledge hid behind those oddly glimmering eyes. She also wore her headband in an odd fashion: it hung around her neck, like Hinata's, but it was turned inside-out so the metal plate sewn onto it faced inward, hidden. On closer inspection it was obvious: she was a lot older than she looked.

All this Kiba and Hinata noticed without much difficulty, but Naruto's mind was preoccupied with other matters. "Hey, lady!" He yelled, pointing a finger at her. "What are you doing on my wall?"

"I'm spying, prying into other people's business just because I can," She replied, tilting her head sideways. "So, you three needed a sensei, am I right?" When Hinata nodded nervously, the girl pushed away from the wall and landed gracefully before the three. Standing upright, she looked each of them up and down with those eyes. Pointing a finger at them one by one, she said, "You're a Inuzuka, you're a Hyuga, and you.." Her eyes misted for a moment as her gaze fell on the blonde. "You're the Uzumaki, aren't you?"

Grinning that fox-like grin, Naruto crossed his arms and exclaimed, "The one and only! Believe it!"

The woman shook her head, an inside voice muttering, _Uzumakis and big egos, they seem to go hand in hand..._

Having moved over beside the now standing and alert Akamaru, Kiba gave the woman a suspicious stare. "Who are you? How do you know who we are?"

The woman held up her hands. "Hang on, hang on, one question at a time! The name's Hotaru, and don't ask for a last name 'cause I don't claim one. As for how I know who you are... Let's just say if you allow me to be your sensei, I'll tell you."

The three blinked, surprised. Naruto was the first one to talk. "Nani? _You _want to be _our _sensei? But you're no older than us! How could you teach us anything?"

Hotaru grinned mischeviously at them then, and winked. "Just watch me."

* * *

Hinata took a long pull from her water bottle, closing her eyes as the cold water relieved her burning throat. Sighing, she lowered the bottle and gazed over at her teammates. The woman, Hotaru, had proven to know many interesting techniques, skills that no ordinary Genin could even grasp themselves, let alone teach others about. She was now drilling Kiba and Naruto on how to focus chakra in their hands so they could stick to walls and trees, an "indespensable skill for ninjas and spies alike." Hinata had gotten it quicker than the others, because of her experience with holding chakra in her hands when using the Jyuken style. Though she was more used to releasing her chakra in small bursts while striking instead of actually focusing it in her hands, she'd grasped the new concept rather quickly and was allowed to rest while the other two continued to try. Kiba was getting the biggest part of it, and Naruto wasn't too far behind him. Hinata noticed with a blush how much better the blonde's chakra control had gotten, and silently thanked the Toad Senin for helping Naruto get just a little bit closer to his lifelong dream.

Hotaru sighed, sweat dripping off her own forehead. Wiping her brow with her sleeve, she cursed the nearly endless hot days she'd grown out of since she'd been away. Though she remembered that Konoha had always been sort of steamy, she'd never realized it could get this _hot _around here. _Guess that's where spending sixteen years in the snow will get you, _she thought, shaking her head. Sighing again, she said, "Ok, ok, boys, lets stop here for today."

Kiba sighed, sinking onto the ground from where he was practicing on the wall. With a cry of exhaustion, Naruto fell flat on his back about four feet, having walked in a handstand up a tree. "Oh... crap..." He breathed, slowly folding his arms and putting them behind his head.

"I'll agree to that one," Kiba replied, chuckling softly, eyes closed.

Hinata was surprised. If Naruto was worn out, then that meant Kiba would have to be practically dead with exhaustion. Her eyes narrowed in worry as she wondered if they were going to be alright.

Hotaru sighed again and smiled weakly at the three of them. "Well, we've made progress!" They had gotten through her first round of exercises without too much difficulty: hitting targets with shuriken, climbing trees, stuff like that. Her second round seemed to go by even quicker as they deflected shuriken with kunai and used the substitiution jutsu like they'd been practicing it their entire lives. Chuckling a little, she thought, _They probably have. I've forgotten just how hard Konoha trains their shinobi. _Now the three were halfway through the third and final round of her initial training program, and now the difficulty was catching up with them. Focusing their chakra had been a problem for all of them, though she commended the Hyuga girl for grasping it as quickly as she did, though she probably had a slight advantage due to her training with using the Jyuken style her entire life. Hotaru chuckled: this was going to be an interesting bunch to train.

Suddenly Naruto appeared before her, and she was taken aback by his speed. "Hotaru-sensei? How'd you know who we were before?" She noted with some surprise how, even as dead tired as she knew he was, he was still able to move like that.

She shrugged, a glint in her eye. "Simple. I've been spying on you three. Have been for some time now."

His eyes had been shut as he'd asked her the question, but now they opened wide. "Nani?... Whatever, no you haven't! Really, how'd you do it?"

She grinned devilishly and said, "Well, I guess you're just going to have to keep guessing if you don't believe me!"

"NANI?? But you said you'd tell us!" The blonde whined, and Hotaru's smile widened.

"I did tell you, but since you suspect I'm lyin', you're just going to have to keep tryin'!"

Grumbling, Naruto marched off and plopped down beside Hinata, who blushed and handed him a water bottle.

As she watched Naruto toss the exhausted Kiba yet another water bottle, Hotaru wondered how good a team they would actually make. Oh, they seemed like good friends, but something about how Naruto and Kiba acted towards each other sort of bothered her. Kiba seemed to want to be protective over the girl, while Naruto seemed to almost physically ache for her attention. Plus, Hinata made Kiba a little jealous by blushing every time Naruto talked to her, or laughed at one of her jokes, or even smiled at her. Then it all clicked. The shy one was in love with the idiot. The idiot had no clue, but subconsciously he was beginning to get interested. The scruffy one was like an older brother to the shy one, and it irked him when the idiot tried for all the attention, subconsciously trying to draw the shy one away from the scruffy one because he thought the other boy liked the girl.

Sighing, Hotaru walked over to the group, wondering how she was going to work this ever classic love triangle out. She figured that maybe it would work itself out, but she didn't believe that fate worked in anyone's favor. If it would have worked in her favor, she'd still have her husband, and her son...

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. She approached the three and threw on a smile. "Well, I'm gonna head home. Tomorrow, instead of coming back here, I'll meet you guys in the forest. Be there by sunrise, and find a suitable place where you think you might be able to fight without too much difficulty. I'll be there not too long after you three arrive, and don't worry-- I'll find you."

As the woman turned to go, Hinata was struck by a thought. "Ano, Hotaru-sensei!"

Hotaru turned around and looked expectantly at the shy girl as she walked up to her. "Yes, Hinata-san?"

"Ano, I-I've been working on a-a new u-use for my B-Byakugan, a-and, ano, I w-was just wondering... d-do you have any ex-experience w-with the H-Hyuga bloodlimit?"

Expecting a flat 'no', Hinata was surprised to see the woman nod. "Yes. In fact, I used to know a Hyuga. She was very kind to me, and we were best friends-- until she was taken by a horrible sickness, or so I was told. Aiko Hyuga, not one by blood, I must imply, but she still knew all the secrets. Did you know her?"

Hinata's eyes widened even as they misted with tears. "That... A-Ai-Aiko was th-the name o-of m-my mother."

Hotaru was breathless as the shock hit her: of course it was her mother, she looks exactly like her, what were you thinking, Hotaru, you _IDIOT!!!_ "Oh, Hinata, I'm so, so sorry- gomenasai, gomen-"

"-No, no, it's alright, I..." The girl wiped her eyes with her sweater before any of the tears met her pale cheeks. "I-I was j-just surprised, th-that's all... M-mother never t-talked about y-you b-before..."

Not wanting the girl to finish the sentence, Hotaru shook her head. "No, she wouldn't." When Hinata looked up at her expectantly, she smiled wryly. "Your father and I-- we didn't exactly get along. Suffice it to say my name was forbidden to be spoken in or around the Hyuga estate."

"Hinata? Are you crying?" Suddenly Kiba and Naruto appeared at Hinata's sides, Naruto on her left glaring at Hotaru, Kiba staring worriedly at the girl.

Cerulean stare icy as he looked at her, Naruto growled, "What did you do to her?"

Watching Naruto try to defend the girl and Kiba dote on her, Hotaru smiled. _Man, this girl's got it good. _"Eh, I gotta get home. Hinata, tomorrow when I put these two dopes back up in the trees, we can talk some more, okay? See you all!" With that, the girl dissapeared in a puff of smoke, letting Naruto glare into thin air.

* * *

Oooo, new sensei! Wonder what's gonna happen? AHHH I just can't wait to get the later chapters out, I just know they're gonna be good! By the way, if any readers have any info on Hinata's ma, I'd love to hear about her. I wasn't sure whether she'd been given a name on the anime, so I used something that seemed to fit: Aiko-- loved one, precious one. That sounds to me like a name Hinata's mother should have, right? Right?

Sorry for the Neji-bashing earlier. He is one of my favorite characters, but honestly, I don't expect either Naruto or Kiba to like him too much after the Chuunin exams. I mean, can you blame them? Don't worry, though: it'll get better as the story progresses.

Anyway, feed me reviews! I am just plain giddy over the sixteen I've gotten so far, and I could never get tired of hearing what my readers think! So, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!! (Before I ever began fanfic-ing, I noticed a lot of people do things like that, and I just wanted to try!

_Chapter 5 Preview: Is Naruto actually beginning to like Hinata? How does Hotaru know Hinata's mother? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!_


	5. Chapter 5

Destiny of the Demon

**By: naruhinafan2010 **

Word to readers: Hello, once again! This chapter was a doozy, because it's my very first fight scene, and somehow I don't think I did it justice. If any of you have some ideas on how to improve it, plz let me know. Thank you for all the reviews I've gotten so far, I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading what you guys have to say. (For those who didn't particularly enjoy Hotaru's appearance in the last chapter: don't worry, I'm going to try to fix it in this chap and in future ones, so let me know what you think. If I can't improve the situation, I will resubmit Ch. 4 and try again. I thrive on what my readers tell me, so keep on typing!)

P.S.: Sorry for the long wait for this chap. I've been up in Kansas City staying with my mom over the weekend, and she won't have internet again until Tuesday. I've been stressing the whole weekend over this chapter, but I still think I did a good job on it. Hope you all like it.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 5

Naruto couldn't sleep. Images of the same blue haired girl kept appearing behind his eyelids, like a film: here she was, twiddling her fingers in anticipation as she and Kiba waited outside Naruto's door; here she was, collapsed in his arms after talking to her father; here she was, blushing and smiling as he sat down beside her. Again and again and again-- a low moan escaped his lips as he tried unsuccessfully to get her out of his mind. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

He sat up and sighed. He had bunked on the living room couch instead of in the master bedroom, since the broken window let in a chilling breeze. After Kiba and Hinata had left, he had explored his new home up and down. The house had four bedrooms, all up on the second floor. It had two bathrooms, one was off of the kitchen, one was in the upstairs corridor. The odd thing was the house was fully furnished; every bedroom had a bed and a dresser, there was a couch, coffee table, and a stereo in the living room, and the kitchen contained everything from a coffee pot to a table and chairs. There had been nothing in the refrigerator or the cupboards, but that hadn't worried Naruto: he'd ran down to the store and stocked up on ramen of all flavors. He'd gotten to everywhere but the bedrooms: he'd been too tired to search them through.

Pushing himself up, he walked into the kitchen and put some water into a pan. Setting it on the stove, he turned the knob and pulled out a package of pork ramen. He leaned against the counter as he waited for the water to boil.

Hinata was still all he could think about, so he tried to keep his mind preoccupied with other matters. _Like that lady, _his mind suggested, and he frowned. That Hotaru person seemed suspicious, on closer inspection-- why had he accepted her as his sensei so quickly? For some reason, he couldn't come up with an answer. Brow furrowed, he began to think. From the time when they first saw her on the wall to when she vanished in a puff of smoke, she felt... normal, for him. Somehow, she seemed familiar, though he couldn't even begin to suspect why. And what was with her forehead protector? Naruto mentally made it a priority to try and get Hotaru-sensei to show it to him tomorrow.

When the water began to boil, he busied himself with the ramen, choosing to think about Hinata again. What was it about her that he couldn't get out of his mind? Every time she smiled, or giggled, or cried, he just wanted to hug her, hold her close and never let her go. It wasn't how he felt about Sakura-chan; yes, he used to want her to be his girlfriend, used to try for her attention, but why? Now that he thought about it, he didn't know why he'd wanted Sakura so bad before. She was really pretty, sure, and she was smart, but she had never been really nice to him. She'd never even noticed him before they became teammates, and even then it was always Sasuke this, and Sasuke that. Finally he'd just stopped attempting to get her love and began simply trying to be her friend. Now they were like siblings.

But what about Hinata? She'd never been mean to him before, and she'd definitely never smacked him or hit him like Sakura did. She was always really quiet, and really weird. Naruto had never really looked at her before, but recently he'd had a hard time not looking at her. The other day when he'd seen her through the peep hole in his apartment door-- that was when he'd first noticed how pretty she really was. Maybe even prettier than Sakura-chan.

Suddenly he gasped in pain as the water in the pan boiled over onto the back of his hand. Cursing colorfully, he twisted the oven knob to OFF and dumped the steaming ramen into a bowl, wringing his burnt left hand as he did so. He opened the freezer door and extracted an ice tray. Searching in the counter drawers produced a plastic baggie. Balancing the ice tray, ramen, and the baggie in his arms, he walked slowly back into the living room, choosing to sit in a cushioned arm chair instead of the couch.

Dumping the ice into the baggie, he laid it gingerly on the back of his hand. Hissing, he closed his eyes against the pain and suddenly saw a pair of light lavender eyes staring staring at him from the darkness of his eyelids.

Startled, he jumped in the chair and ended up sending his ramen onto the floor.

"Son of a BITCH!" He yelled, grabbing the makeshift ice pack and throwing it to the floor beside the bowl, sending ice everywhere. Standing, he began pacing, around and around the coffee table, finally sitting back on the couch and putting his head in his hands, palms against closed eyelids.

Reaching into the dark sewer system that he'd grown accustomed to, Naruto suddenly found himself face to face with a monstrous being, the Kyubi. "Hey, fox, I've got a question."

The monster huffed and turned his back to Naruto and the bars of his cage. _I'm a demon, not a conscience._

Naruto ignored the comment. "Tell me-- how do you act when you like someone?"

_I wouldn't know, since I don't like anyone. Especially not you._

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "C'mon, what'd I ever do to you?"

_You were born. Seriously, if it wasn't for you, I would be on my merry way, and this miserable little village would be reduced to ashes._

The blonde rolled his eyes. "You think I enjoy being stuck with you?" When the demon didn't respond, Naruto tried again. "I meant how does a person act when they like someone?"

Kyubi shrugged. _Well, if the way you've been acting recently is any example, then when people like each other they act really idiotic. Not that you don't act like an idiot anyway, but..._

Ignoring the last part of the demon's reply, Naruto asked, "What do you mean?"

Kyubi turned to look at him, only revealing one of his glowing crimson eyes. _You've been acting like a jackass. Always pining for attention, cracking stupid jokes just to get a laugh, always worrying yourself over one girl. I think you might also have a little bit of competition, too._

Confused, Naruto said, "Nani?" Suddenly, it hit him: Kiba.

Growling, he muttered, "Kiba likes Hinata, does he? Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that..."

As the kid left the sewer muttering to himself, Kyubi let out a laugh. _There. I've done my dark deed for today: I've made my host completely and utterly jealous and paranoid over a girl. Damn, demon, you're bad..._

The next morning, Naruto arrived at the gates just moments after Kiba and Hinata had, shooting a twinge of jealousy through the blonde for no apparent reason. They walked through the forest together, and ended up in the clearing where Hinata had taken them the other day, or 'Hinata's Corner', as they fondly dubbed it. They hadn't been sitting there five minutes when Hotaru dropped out of the trees. Today she wore a sleeveless green shirt and a pair of black shorts, and the usual sandals and gloves. She still wore her forehead protector in the same fashion as yesterday, and Naruto reminded himself to ask about it today.

"Ok, kids, let's pick up from where we left off yesterday," She announced, and Naruto and Kiba moaned. Hinata giggled, and in response the other three smiled almost simultaneously.

As she approached them, Hotaru looked each of them up and down. Kiba had traded his grey blue coat and tan pants for a sleeveless black tanktop and blue-jean shorts. Naruto had on a shirt much like Kiba's, only it was white, and he wore his usual orange pants. Hinata still wore the tan coat, but instead of the black pants she had on yesterday had instead wore a pair of dark blue shorts. _Short _shorts. They stopped about mid-thigh, and Hotaru noted with some delight that Naruto had a hard time not staring at the shy one's long legs. Hinata had apparently noticed this, too-- she was beet red and was trying not to let either one of her teammates see her face.

Chuckling, Hotaru set Naruto and Kiba up about three trees away from each other and had them start working on focusing their chakra in their hands again. Then she pulled Hinata aside and said, "Nice shorts, Hinata-san."

The girl's eyes widened as she looked up at her sensei. "Ano, I figured since i-it was so h-hot yesterday, I m-might w-want to d-dress in something c-cooler..."

Patting Hinata on the back, Hotaru smiled warmly. "They look good on you, hon. Next, we need to get you out of that hot old coat."

The look on the shy one's face was priceless. "N-No! I-I never t-take this c-coat o-off..." She looked longingly at the blonde, who was trying to focus enough chakra in his palms to keep himself vertical while climbing up the tree. Oh, yeah, this girl was in tragic shape, alright.

"Hmm... Oh, yeah! Hinata-san, what did you want to talk to me yesterday about?" Hotaru asked.

Hinata looked relieved to have a change of subject. "Ano, I-I've been working w-with my B-Byakugan a l-little bit, and I-I think, w-with some help, I m-might be able t-to figure out an op-opponent's next move when t-they begin b-building up th-their chakra."

Hotaru was surprised. _That would be really useful in a battle, especially against an opponent you've never faced before, _she thought, face lighting up with excitement. "Hinata-san, did you think of this by yourself?"

Hinata thought Hotaru was going to ridicule the idea, and her eyes filled with tears. "W-well, th-there's been some sp-speculation that, if p-properly developed, t-the Byakugan m-might have th-the capability t-to anticipate an o-op-opponent's next move, b-but no one's e-ever t-tried before..."

"Well, I guess you'll be the first!" Hinata looked up, surprised that their sensei would be up for testing this-- her-- new technique out.

Moving around six feet away from Hinata, Hotaru said, "Ok, Hinata-san, I'm going to begin attacking very slowly. Now, you activate your Byakugan, and focus all of your attention on me. Before I execute my attack, you've got to tell me what I'm going to do. Did you get all of that, hon?"

"Yes, Hotaru-sensei." The shy one had already activated her bloodlimit, and was now standing in her Jyuken fighting stance. Smiling at her new student's determined glance, Hotaru began her first attack.

Slowly, she began gathering chakra into her hands, preparing to run through a long series of hand seals. Before she could even put her hands together to begin, Hinata called out, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Startled, Hotaru smiled. "Excellent, Hinata-san! That was really quick!"

Hinata was even more shocked than Hotaru had been. She'd simply focused all of her attention on Hotaru-sensei, and suddenly she'd found herself yelling out the jutsu's name. "You mean... I g-got it r-right?"

"Yeah!" Grinning wider, Hotaru asked, "Wanna try again?"

Slowly, Hinata nodded.

Hotaru began gathering chakra into her fists once more, and Hinata instantly cried, "Water Release: Water Dragon Blast Technique!"

"Yes! Alright, Hinata-san, this time when you figure out what I'm going to do, don't yell it out. Instead, lets see if you can stop me from getting though the seals, Ok?"

"H-Hai," Hinata replied, not too sure if she was going to be able to do this. A little ways away, Naruto and Kiba had stopped what they were doing and now was watching the two women.

Thinking of a simple jutsu, Hotaru built up her chakra and put her hands together. Or, she would have-- if Hinata hadn't quickly deflected her right hand and then closed up the chakra valve in her left, rendering it completely useless.

Both females were startled by the speed with which Hinata had reacted. Hinata let out a squeal and instantly reopened the valve in Hotaru's palm, while the older woman congratulated her.

"That was great, Hinata-san!"

Hinata moved back to her original position and Hotaru began again. This time she almost got her hands together for the first seal when a kunai stopped them, spearing through the air where Hotaru's hands would've met, and embedding itself into the earth below.

_One more time, _Hotaru thought, getting slightly agitated. Her mind raced through the long line of jutsu's she knew of, and finally she decided to try the easiest one in the book. Her palms almost met for the first and only seal when she was blown backwards by a sudden and powerful burst of air.

Hotaru had just barely hit the ground when Hinata was at her side, apolegizing over and over again. "Gomenasai, Hotaru-s-sensei! Y-you were going t-to use Taju K-kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and y-you moved s-so fast I-I couldn't h-have g-gotten here in t-time to s-stop you, s-so I had t-to use the D-Divine Sp-Spin, it w-was the f-first thing I c-could think of, and-"

"Hinata-san!" Hotaru half-yelled, trying to break the girl's reverie. To her felief, the shy one stopped ranting in mid-sentence. Looking up into teary lavender eyes, the woman smiled. "You pass!"

"W-what?" The girl asked, voice cracking.

"I told you to stop me from getting through the seals, and you did. You pass my first test! And now you've got a handy new use for the Byakugan! Aiko would've been proud." Hotaru said this last part slightly softer, and Hinata smiled.

"Wow, Hinata-chan! You've mastered the Divine Spin even better than Neji!" A voice cried, and the two women turned to see Naruto and Kiba running towards them.

Kiba seemed impressed too. "Hinata, that was amazing!"

Grinning over at Kiba, Naruto replied, "Yeah, now our team will be unstoppable!"

"Me? Better th-than Neji-niisan? Ano, I-I don't k-know..."

"She also mastered her new technique with the Byakugan, too," Hotaru added, making the girl turn ever crimson. Sitting up, she patted the shy one on the shoulder. "Yep, anyone that goes up against this team now will be sorry they ever decided to become shinobi!"

Even as she said those words, Hotaru knew the group still needed a lot of work. There was still the thing between Naruto and Kiba, too, and Hotaru didn't see that one working itself out. The two boys acted relatively polite to each other, but even Hinata knew there was something going on-- she cast weary glances at them when they weren't looking.

Shaking her head, Hotaru said, "Well, seeing as how you two stopped practicing with the trees, I'm going to take a wild guess and say you can climb trees using only your hands, am I correct?" Both boys nodded, and she continued. "Great! Now we can finally start on something new!"

"And that something is?" Kiba queried.

Hotaru smiled. "We are going to learn how to shoot chakra."

This had been proven to be the most difficult of her challenges so far. The three had to gather chakra into their hands and hold it there just like in the tree-climbing exercise, but then they had to release it in short, powerful bursts that would reach over long distances, and they had to control where it went, how much they released, etc.

"Nani? Shooting chakra?" Naruto exclaimed, frowning and throwing his arms behind his head. "What for?"

"Well, you never can tell," Hotaru replied, crossing her arms. "Maybe, if you're being followed by an attacker or would-be enemy, you could turn and shoot chakra into the direction of the follower, possibly surprising them and simultaneously launching your own attack before they can attack you. Or, if you're battling an enemy who is skilled in close quarters combat, you could jump back out of their reach and shoot them with chakra, an attack that they may not be able to block. Who knows? It'd be a nice skill to have in case of an emergency."

Hinata and Kiba agreed, but Naruto shook his head, grumbling "Why should I learn something like that? I could kick anybody's ass no matter if they were skilled in close combat or not."

"Well, that may be true if you were on your own, but now you are on a team again, and when you're on a team you have to watch your teammates backs, so the battle doesn't revolve around just you and your opponent, if you know what I mean. I see no point in allowing you to continue this training if you can't work well with other people." Hotaru's smile had a serious quality to it, and Hinata knew the woman meant what she said. She suspected that Naruto had seen it, too-- he was quiet after she spoke.

When she was that she was going to get no more complaints from the blonde, Hotaru clapped her hands together and grinned. "Ok, kids, stand before any tree around here to begin with. They did so, each about two or three trees away from each other, and Hotaru continued. "Now, very slowly, bring one fist forward, asn if throwing a punch at someone."

They did: Naruto used his right hand, fisted tightly; Kiba used his left hand, open, fingers outsretched as if to claw an imaginary target; Hinata used her right hand also, but she brought if forward in the Jyuken style, fingers together, palm first.

Smiling, Hotaru said, "Ok, now I want you to gather chakra into the one hand you just attacked with,and hold it there. Once you've done that, bring that hand forward again, and as you do release the chakra, but try to direct it forward, as if you're trying to hit a target."

She was surprised at the results. The bark on the tree that Naruto was attacking was suddenly stripped from the tree around the spot where Naruto's fist was directed at, leaving nothing but raw bark. On Kiba's tree, there were four quarter-shaped raw spots where his fingers pointed, as if the chakra had mostly come from his fingers. On Hinata's tree, only a few chips of bark were missing from the surface, showing that she had the best chakra control as well as stating that she didn't strike with full force.

_Their fighting styles as well as their chakra control suits their personalities well, _Hotaru thought. _This is good. We will have to decrease the idiot's chakra output as well as increase the shy one's, and with the scruffy one... maybe we could get him to swing his arm in a downward motion, so that he creates four chakra knives instead of one. Hmm..._

This was going to be a long day.

Kiba was already exhaused, though it was naught but noon. They had been working on the Chakra Knives Technique all morning, without rest. The temperature had slowly risen until it was about 90 degrees in the forest. Hotaru, sweating just as bad as her students, granted them a two-hour reprieve for lunch and to rest up before they began training again. The three had wanted to go home and hop into an icy cold shower, but then unanimously decided against it, instead of choosing to stay in the forest and work on this new technique in hopes that, if they got it down before Hotaru returned, they might be allowed to start on something new, and in turn their sensei might let them off early. Naruto was complaining about starvation, so Hinata had run to the village to get them something to eat. It was just Kiba and the blonde, training in silence. Kiba would have preferred it that way, but the blonde had to ruin it by asking a seemingly random question.

"So, Kiba, do you like Hinata-chan?"

"Huh?" Kiba answered, taken aback by the sudden question. He turned from the tree he'd been shooting chakra at and raised an eyebrow at Naruto, who'd aslo stopped working on his tree a few feet away. The first warning signal was the kid's hands, fisted so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were white.

"Don't play stupid with me, Kiba, you heard what I said," Naruto growled, and Kiba was surprised at the venom in his voice. That was the second warning signal. "Do you like Hinata-chan?"

"So what if I do?" Kiba retorted, getting a little annoyed in spite of himself. He knew it wasn't wise to set Naruto off, especially since he was so worked up already, but he just couldn't help it. The damn kid had been pissing him off ever since yesterday, when he'd began to hog all of Hinata's attention and started acting like a total jackass. "What are you gonna do about it?"

That was the last straw for Naruto. He charged forward, three kunai already flying out in front of him. Kiba easily dodged the knives and met Naruto at a run, throwing punches and striking out with his long fingernails, snarling like a canine. Akamaru was about to join in the fistfight, but Kiba yelled, "Down boy! This is my fight, you stay out of it!" The dog whined loudly, but Kiba wasn't having any of it: he wasn't going to risk hurting his dog over something so stupid as this.

Naruto was pissed. For some reason, when Kiba had asked what he was going to do about the fact that Kiba liked Hinata, he had suddenly felt driven to beat the living shit out of the bastard just to get him to take the words back. He dodged under Kiba's fist, threw a few quick punches of his own, and then ducked out of the way as Kiba used the Chakra Knives Technique to send four seperate knives of blue chakra towards him. Naruto launched himself backwards, sending another three kunai at Kiba, which were easily dodged once again. The two men glared at each other for a few moments, seething. They suddenly bolted forward simultaneously, meeting once again.

Naruto swung his leg under Kiba's feet, trying to trip him. Kiba jumped out of the way and landed a few feet back, swiping his hand through the air and sending yet another group of Chakra Knives throught the air at Naruto. The blonde was a little less lucky this time: one of the knives sliced his left shoulder open. He howled in pain, clutching at his shoulder with his right hand. He jumped backwards again, and now the two where about fifteen feet away from each other, panting and sweating up a storm.

Glancing at the cut, Naruto grinned as he saw it had already stopped bleeding. He glared up at Kiba, growling, "Let's finish this!" He began to charge at Kiba, who started to run also. They were both running flat out, one fist outstreched. They yelled as their knuckles met, Naruto's left fist coming down and Kiba's right coming up. The men pushed their strength against each other, growling loudly.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Naruto?!" Kiba yelled, sweat dripping off of his forehead as he continued to push against Naruto's fist. This wasn't what he needed right now-- he was already exhausted, and that combined with this extra workout, he might collapse. He couldn't help it, though-- something inside him simply refused to be beaten by Naruto again. "Just because you've finally taken an interest in my sister doesn't mean you can just push me away!"

They broke apart, repelled away from each other by a sudden burst of energy, their pure chakra clashing. Landing opposite Kiba, Naruto yelled, "Well, I wouldn't have to push you away if you'd--" Suddenly he stopped, and a wide-eyed expression suddenly lit up his features. "Sister?" He asked, voice full of wonder, as if he'd just now taken in what Kiba had said.

"Hai, I said sister, you baka!" Kiba nodded solemnly, lowering his fists. He somehow knew the fight was over. "I'll admit, I did like Hinata... once. Then, when I realized that I'd already lost her to you, I decided to give up on her love and began seeking her friendship... I began acting like an elder brother would, you know-- proective, kind of like a bodyguard."

Naruto was distinctly remided of his relationship with Sakura, how he had finally given up on getting her to be his girlfriend and had settled for acting sort of like a sibling.

Suddenly, Hinata appeared at the other end of the clearing, carrying three small boxes that apparently held their lunch.

Aware that a question was still itching to be voiced, Naruto was interupted by his growling stomach. _Whatever it is, it can wait 'til later. Ramen first, talk later. _

How'd that chapter go? Please review, I had a hard time with this one.

_Chapter 6 Preview: YOU DON'T GET ONE THIS TIME! HAHAHAHA!!! (Actually, I don't have any corny previews for you this time, I think I'm having an episode of writer's block. PLEASE REVIEW!!!_

sd


	6. Chapter 6

Destiny of the Demon

**By: naruhinafan2010 **

Hello, fanfiction fanatics! Thank you so much for all of the reviews I've gotten cough 38 cough I absolutely love reading what you guys have to say about my story, so please, keep on reviewing! Without you guys, my story is as well as dead! Just kiddin. Here's chapter 6, fans!

P.S. Can anyone tell me if the Fourth Hokage actually has a name? It may come in handy in the next chapter or so...

Yes, yes, the disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 6

Hinata opened her eyes, that same feeling of happiness mixed with worry washing over her as it had so many mornings before. She was so happy to be spending all this time with Naruto-kun and Kiba-kun, and training with Hotaru-sensei was always fun, no matter how exhausting. Her father, however, worried her. What was he going to say when he found out she was training for the Chuunin exams? What was he gooing to do? Hinata closed her eyes against the many horrifying ideas that suddenly ran themselves across her mind. He might lock her up in her room, never to leave the household again. Worse, he might kick her out of the house! Disown her as a daughter of Hyuga! Tears leaked out from under her eyelids as she felt another familiar emotion-- hopelessness-- was over her as well, threatening to drown her in its raging waters.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself up out of bed and glanced at her dresser mirror. _I look awful, _she thought, sighing at her reflection. Her hair, normally neat in its long braid, was now disheveled and ratty-looking, indicating a rought night. Sighing, she sat back down onher bed and began to pull the braid apart, starting at the bottom where a white ribbon held it together.

As she picked the braid apart, Hinata thought about their new sensei. Why had Hotaru just vouched to be their teacher all of a sudden? Why had they just accepted her? For Hinata, it had been a bit of a no-question situation-- here was this woman, asking to be their sensei when they needed one. But why had they said yes? Sure, they had been desperate for a teacher, and the woman had proven to know many useful skills that may come in handy in the furture, but there had seemed to be something else, something between her and Naruto-kun.

Frowning, Hinata distinctly remembered the time when Hotaru had first laid eyes on Naruto, the way her eyes had misted up, asnif remembering a tender or painful memory that had been invoked by something the boy had said or did. _What did Naruto remind Hotaru-sensei of? _She pondered this thought for what seemed like ages, until she had finished with taking her braid down. As she began to brush through the ratted blue black locks, she began thinking about how their new sensei might have known her mother. _She may have lived in Leaf, a long time ago, _Hinata thought, eyes slightly wet at the thought of her mother, _but I never saw her around. I was never one to go outside and wander around the village, though, so she might've lived here without me noticing. _She smiled at the thought of Aiko having a friend with whom she could talk to about anything. _Father tried to keep her from the outside world, just like he's trying to do with me. I'm glad she had someone to talk to._

It didn't take long to get all of the rats out of her hair, and then she began to braid it all over again, the same way her mother had taught her to do. She smiled as the thought of spending another day with Naruto crossed her mind. _Naruto-kun has been acting so nice to me lately... _Her heart leapt into her throat as she dared to hope what might happen.

_Maybe he will finally notice me... _That thought kept her mind busy as she finished braiding her hair and went down for a quick and akward breakfast with her father and sister. She managed to get through the entire meal without so much as a stutter, a relief to her and a surprise to Hiashi and Hanabi. After breakfast, she left the household and began to walk up the nearly deserted morning streets towards the gates. Halfway there, she was sopped by a voice.

"Hinata, is that you?"

She turned around to see Neji, jogging up the road to catch up with her. "Oh, Neji-niisan! G-good morning."

"Good morning, Hinata-san. Where are you heading off to so early?"

"I...I..." Her mind raced around, wondering what to tell her cousin, before she finally settled on the truth. "I'm going out t-to train with Kiba-kun and N-Naruto-kun. W-we.. We're going to enter i-into the Chu-Chuunin exams together, a-as a t-t-team." She bowed her head, wincing at the thought of getting scolded for going against her father's wishes.

Instead of scolding her, Neji favored her with one of his rare genuine smiles. "That's great, Hinata-san! I was wondering when you were going to decide that you have to live for yourself and not for Hiashi-sama. Good for you."

Hinata's eyes opened wide as she glanced up at Neji. This coming from her normally stoic and composed cousin? She smiled at him, thinking that battling with Naruto and talking to Tenten must be doing some good. "Arigato, Neji-n-niisan. Ano... a-are you going to-"

Neji shook his head. "No, cousin, I will not tell Hiashi-sama. I respect him, but this is one thing that I'm willing to keep a secret from him. Promise." He smiled at her again before falling into place beside her when she began to walk forward again. "So, where are you meeting with Kiba and Naruto?"

Her grateful smile instantly turned into a look of horror. "N-no, Neji-niisan, I-I don't think it is a g-good i-idea for you to-"

"Relax, Hinata-san," Neji interrupted, waving away her ramblings. He lowered his voice slightly before continuing. "I know that Kiba and Naruto are somewhat angry at me. I also know that I might start an argument by coming with you." Smiling sadly, he said, "I just want to let them know that I apolegized to you... and I want to apolegize to them, too."

Hinata blinked a couple times before comprehending what Neji had said. He was going to apolegize to them? Her eyes instantly misted with tears of happiness, and she smiled up at her cousin once again. "A-arigato."

* * *

Naruto was half asleep on the ground when Hinata entered the clearing. He sat up and blearily murmured "Good morning, Hinata-chan" before realizing that something was wrong. There was another person with Hinata this morning, and it definitely wasn't Kiba. His hair had gotten so much longer in the span of three years, and now it hung almost to the ground, held back by a single black ribbon that was knotted at the end, like he always used to wear it. He wore a grey jacket and dark blue shorts that resembled his old attire, and his right arm and leg were still bandaged. Over his grey jacket, he wore an unzipped Chuunin vest. Looking into those eyes that were so similar and at the same time so different from Hinata's, Naruto was instantly angry.

Before the sleepy blonde could yell out a protest, Kiba appeared, hopping down out of the trees. "Morning, team-" He began choking when he saw who was with Hinata. \

Naruto was instantly up and yelling at Neji. "What do you think you're doing here, Neji? Sneaking around, looking for something new to run and tell Hiashi?!"

"Naruto-" Hinata murmured, but her voice was drowned out by an outburst from Kiba.

"Exactly! What do you think you're doing, coming out here with Hinata? You shouldn't even be allowed to stand beside her, seeing what you tried to do!"

"Kiba-kun, he-"

"Hinata, the guy tried to kill you! How could you forgive someone who was forcing you to spit up your guts?!"

Neji took the onslaught with a blank face, staring at the ground before him. To Naruto and Kiba, he was his usual stoic and stuck-up self: to Hinata, he was a child being punished, chewing his lip and slumping his shoulders in an uncharacteristic show of guilt.

Naruto growled, "Yeah, but I guess he's gonna say that it was fate who forced him to do what he did that day, huh? Fate was the reason Hinata-chan was almost killed, huh?!"

Neji's head snapped up at the blonde then, and Naruto was surprised to see the fire in his eyes, an anger that hadn't been there before. "I take full responsibility for what happened that day! I understand that that is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life, and no amount of 'fate' will change that! I assure you, I have been tormented with what happened every single day since you defeated me in the Chuunin exam three years ago, and I will endure that torture until I have earned your forgiveness!"

Naruto blinked a few times before saying, "Why do you need my forgiveness? It wasn't me you bashed into the ground three years ago, that was Hinata! You ought to be begging for her forgiveness instead of mine."

"Hinata-san has already forgiven me," Neji murmured, bowing his head. Looking back up at Naruto, he raised his voice again and said, "You and Kiba are Hinata's closest friends, therefore you are the most protective over her. It is you that I must beg for forgiveness to, because I will never be at rest until I earn it! Being forgiven by you two... It will make me feel like my fight against fate is not hopeless." He pulled off his forehead protector and pointed at the seal on his forehead. "It will make me feel like my destiny is not predetermined, as I was always taught. It will help me to realize how I can escape this seal, marry the one I love-" He smiled softly at this- ' and live a life of my own. Being forgiven by you two... that will spur me towards attaining a goal that I could not otherwise: freedom."

The four were silent for what seemed like forever: Kiba and Naruto were staring openmouthed at Neji, who was glaring at the ground, visibly shaking with the power of the speech he had just made. Hinata was shocked at the speech her cousin had just given, and she blinked rapidly while looking from one boy to another.

Finally, Kiba broke the silence. "Wow, you feel that guilty, huh?"

Naruto joined in, grinning from ear to ear. "Guess we can forgive you as long as you don't make another speech. Honestly, for a second there, you almost sounded like Lee!"

Uneasy laughter filled the cleariing, and Naruto walked up to Neji, grinning. "Alright! I forgive you, if you promise to never let go of that dream, ok?" He held out a hand to the Hyuga.

Confused, Neji hesitated to shake the blonde's hand. "Just like that?"

"I know, he does seem to be a bit too trusting, doesn't he?" Kiba muttered. After Hinata gave him an incredulous look, he rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, I forgive you, too. Only because Hinata wants me to, and because I wanna see that dream play out, too."

Talking and laughing with Hinata's new teammates that morning had filled Neji with a warm, fuzzy feeling. It was the first time in a long while that he had felt like he belonged, like he lived for a purpose. He smiled more that morning than he had in the last three years combined, and a heavy weight seemed to slip off of his heart. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was genuinely happy.

* * *

Watching the three boys settle that potential speedbump, Hotaru noticed that Naruto and Kiba were acting differently to each other today. It wasn't hard to tell: the boys had gotten over their clashing feelings for the shy one and were now acting like they were related, sort of like brothers. She smiled, thinking that maybe sometimes these things did work out on their own.

She thought about making her team train today, but then decided against it. The two boys had worked out their problems on their own, so they deserved a day off. Scolding herself for being too easy on these kids, she dropped down out of the trees, startling the four teens. "Alright, kids, forget about training today. We're gonna take a breather for today."

"Nani? But why?" Naruto whined, earning a chuckle from Kiba and a reproachful look from Hinata. Neji was staring wide-eyed at the newcomer, making her a little uneasy. She tried not to let her uneasiness show as she grinned at the whiny blonde.

"I've got to go out of town today, and I won't be back 'til later. What are you looking at me like that for? Enjoy yourself! Take a day to just relax. If I've heard right, your old sensei Jiraiya used to leave you on your own quite a lot."

"Yeah, but he only snuck off to go peep into the women's bathouses," Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at the ground. Kiba took the opportunity to seize the blonde around the head and began to give him a noogie.

"Aw, come on, Naruto, she's giving us a day off! Be grateful!"

"Hey, Kiba, get off me!" Naruto struggled against Kiba's stronghold, and finally Kiba let him go, sending the blonde sprawling on the forest floor.

"C'mon, Ramen boy! You oughta enjoy this, being as lazy as you are," Kiba joked, earning himself an angry stare from Naruto.

Hotaru interrupted the boys' sibling-like struggle, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I've gotta go. Have fun, kids!" With that, she dissapeared into a puff of smoke.

"Whatever... Ah, well, this means we can all go and hang out together, huh, Kiba?" Naruto exclaimed, transforming from a pouty child back to his usual self in about two seconds flat. His smiling face turned into a frown, however, when Kiba shook his head. "No? Why, you going out of town, too?"

"Actually, yes," Kiba replied, grinning back at the annoyed blonde. "Akamaru hasn't been feeling good recently, so I've gotta go into one of our neighboring villages and find a vet. Speaking of that, I've gotta go meet Hana at the gates soon. See you guys! Take care of Naruto, Hinata!" Kiba launched himself back into the trees before Naruto could protest.

The other three began to walk back to the village, Naruto bragging to Neji about Hinata's new technique, Neji listening intently, and Hinata silent and glowing behind them.

They parted at the gates, Neji claiming he had to go see someone. After he departed, Naruto and Hinata stood akwardly at the gates for a moment, neither one of them really knowing what to do. As Naruto was just about to ask if Hinata was hungry, a voice called, "Hey, Naruto! Hinata! Over here!"

They turned towards the voice to see sakura waving and hurrying towards them, two other people following her, a girl and a boy.

"Sakura-san! W-who are your f-friends?" Hinata asked, smiling and walking towards the pink haired girl.

"This is Katsumi and Hibiki," Sakura introduced, pointing towards the girl first and then the boy. The girl smiled and waved, and the boy just stared off into space, his cerulean eyes so much different from Naruto's, so much colder, that Hinata had to repress a chill. "They are my new teammates. We participated in the Chuunin exam three years ago." Sure enough, Sakura and the other two wore green Chuunin vests.

"Sakura... where did they come from?" Naruto asked quietly, and the two girls turned to look at him, surprised. Anger was coursing through his voice, and his face was scrunched up in hatred as he looked at the two. The reason for his anger was obvious, at least to Sakura: the girl, Katsumi, was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and poofy teal pants. This combined with her short darky spiky hair, the bandages covering half her face, and the way she wore her forehead protector-- sideways, with the metal plate facing to her left-- was all reminiscent of the deceased Zabuza, the Mist nin.

Another reason for his anger was the male's physical traits. His dark spiky hair that swerved to the left side of his head and the lines on his face reminded Naruto of Zaku, the Sound nin who'd attacked them in the Forest of Death with his teammates Dosu and Kin. The large white shirt and dark capris sort of looked like Zaku's attire that day.

Sakura hesitated a moment before answering. "Well, Katsumi and Hibiki are escapees from their nations, the Mist and the Sound. Now, Naruto-"

She wasn't able to calm him down before he exploded. "How could you even think about being friends with these two, much less be on a team with them!" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Sakura. Hibiki didn't seemed too fazed by the sudden outburst, but both Hinata and Katsumi's eyes went wide as they witnessed the blonde blow up. "I mean, just look at them! It's obvious they are related to Zabuza and Zaku, who might I remind you tried to kill us, you, me, and Sasuke, too!"

Sakura winced at the mention of Sasuke's name, but she was getting angry all the same. "Look, you don't have to judge them by who they are related to! Just because they sort of look like those two doesn't mean they're anything like them! They don't work for Orochimaru, Naruto!"

"Yeah? Well, why'd they leave their nations, then, Sakura? They betrayed their own nations, so what's stopping them from betraying us, too?!"

"Did you say Zabuza?" Katsumi asked, voice quiet but commanding all the same. When Sakura nodded tentatively, Katsumi lowered her gaze. "Yes, I'll admit, I am related to Momochi Zabuza. I am his distant cousin, and I never met him, but because of what he did during his life, I was ridiculed for being a relative, and that is part of the reason I came here."

"Yeah? And what about you?" Naruto cried, pointing at Hibiki.

The kid just shook his head slightly, calculating blue eyes never leaving the ground. "I know no Zaku."

"Well, let's see if you can't remember something after I knock the shit out of you!" Naruto yelled, marching towards the ex-sound nin. Hinata made a move to stop him, but she never got the chance: Sakura suddenly landed a solid punch against his stomach, forcing him down hard. He wheezed, surprised at Sakura's newly aquired strength.

"Naruto, damn it, I wish you weren't so stupid!" Sakura yelled, getting the attention of a few wary villagers nearby. "Yes, they were a part of the enemy before, but check their headbands, Naruto! They are loyal to Konoha now, and you are just going to have to accept that!" She stomped off, leading the other two away.

Hinata kneeled over beside Naruto, concern etched into her features. "Naruto-kun? Are y-you alright? Th-that looked p-painful..."

Still angry, Naruto tried to calm himself down. Trying to breathe regularly, he slung an arm across Hinata's shoulders, not noticing her blush. "I'm going to have to have a little talk with Obaa-chan... I'm fine, Hinata-chan, just help me walk for a while, ok?"

They walked through the streets of the village, talking about anything in particular, earning odd gazes from the villagers that only Naruto seemed to notice, for Hinata's attention was all but focused entirely on Naruto. Soon, he was able to walk on his own again, and the two headed over to Ichiraku's for lunch.

After that, they walked around the village, again, talking about the past, about their families (or what Naruto had been told about his own), and just plain potpourri. Hinata was almost in tears as Naruto told her about how he had been put into an orphanage when he was younger, waiting for the parents who would never come. She felt a little better when he told her about Iruka-sensei, how he was sort of like his father. She told him about the Hyuga household, and how it was like living in a clan. After hearing about all the rules and traditions you had to follow when you were in a clan, Naruto sort of felt bad for Hinata. No wonder she was so shy: her father had kept her away from the other children as a little girl, so she had no experience talking to other people who weren't relatives. Once again, Naruto was angry, this time at Hiashi's injust treatment of his own daughter, which resulted in him ranting and raving over it. Hinata stood off to the side, admiring Naruto once again for his bravery and his almost painful need to protect his friends. More than ever she wanted to tell him everything, but she also realized that she would never do so. His dream was so intense and far off, and she would only hinder his rise to the hallowed place of Hokage. She vowed that she would never hold him back like that, even if it meant never telling him how she really felt. The weird thing was, no matter how honest they were to each other that day, each still kept a secret.

Naruto had more fun that day than in the last three years combined. He enjoyed talking to Hinata about everything, and he noticed that she was a really good listener, and when she told him about herself, he found it hard not to stare at her, at the smooth features of her face or her light lavender eyes. The butterfly feeling became something more that day, something that made him want to beam the entire time they were together and cry when he thought about leaving her. He didn't know what had caused this, but he figured it had something to do with how she listened: she would remain quiet until he finished talking, and she never once looked bored with his stories-- she listened raptly, and she burst into full laughter that he'd never heard from her when he told her about his incident with Sasuke, their accidental first kiss. That laugh seemed to make him happier than he'd ever felt before, and he realized that he'd never told anyone as much as he'd told Hinata, not even Sakura. As much as he wanted to be totally honest with her that day, he just couldn't bring himself to tell her about the demon he housed, the mostrosity inside of him. He had just found a friend in quite possibly the coolest person he'd ever met, and he wasn't going to risk her friendship over something like that. Instead, he pushed the thought deep into his subconscious and enjoyed the day, happier than he'd ever been.

* * *

How was this chapter? Pointless fluff, I know, and it was really just a filler chap. I had to put this in here though-- it houses info that you will need in the next few chapters. Besides, the next chapter will be much more exciting-- promise! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!

_Chapter 7 Preview: _

_Naruto opened the door slowly and peered out, blinking tiredly. "Hotaru-sensei, do you know what time it is? I appreciate you coming over and all, but I am not going to train at two in the morning."_

_"This isn't about training, Naruto," She replied, tone grim. "May I come in?"_

_What is Hotaru-sensei doing at Naruto's house at 2 A.M.? Why is she so grim? The suspense is killing me: FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!_


	7. Chapter 7

Destiny of the Demon

**By: naruhinafan2010 **

Wow, forty-six reviews. That is more reviews than I could have ever hoped for, and it is definitely more than I thought I'd get. Thank you all for your aid in making my fanfic the best that it can be. To JGOG132, Silver Warrior, and Axion: Thank you for the help with Yondaime's name, I greatly appreciate it. To iloooveinuyasha1: Sakura and Lee's part is coming up, don't you worry. This chap is much longer, so I hope this lives up to your expectations. ENJOY!! PS PS:** If you haven't checked out the reviews yet, do so. I left a request there for my fans, and I really hope I get some answers.**

I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!

CHAPTER 7

Naruto was enjoying a dream of sakura blossoms, ramen, and a beautiful blue haired girl when he was awakened by pecking. He opened his eyes, and the almost nonexistent _tick tick tick _went away. Disgruntled that he'd been disturbed from his dream, he turned to lay on his back on the couch and almost drifted back to sleep when the sound came again, and this time he realized it wasn't pecking that he was hearing: someone was knocking on his door.

Grumbling something about people trying to sleep and disturbing the peace, Naruto stood and walked over to the door. Glancing blearily through the peep hole, he was surprised to see Hotaru standing on the doorstep. She looked very nervous, her silver eyes creased in worry, her arms crossed, foot tappiing out a nervous beat on the concrete.

Naruto opened the door slowly and peered out, blinking tiredly. "Hotaru-sensei, do youknow what time it is? I appreciate you coming over and all, but I'm not going to train at two in the morning."

"This isn't about training, Naruto," She replied, tone grim. "May I come in?"

"Uh, sure," He said, opening the door for her. Realizing that all he was wearing was a pair of boxers, he reddened and hurriedly threw on a whit t-shirt with a leaf on the back, one Hinata had gotten him while they'd been walking around the village yesterday afternoon. Gesturing at the living room, he said, "Have a seat."

"Arigato," Hotaru murmured, sitting in the recliner beside the couch. Naruto plopped back down on the couch, sighing wearily. "Ano, Naruto, why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking up at her. Then he chuckled and said, "Oh, I haven't cleaned up the bedrooms yet, 'cause I was, um, busy today." He reddened as Hotaru giggled slightly, knowing he had spent the entire day with Hinata. Wanting to change the subject, Naruto asked, "Mmm, so, Hotaru-sensei, what is this about?"

Sighing, she laced her fingers together and scooted to the edge of the chair. "Naruto-kun, there's something I've got to tell you..."

Naruto blinked in surprise. Never had Hotaru-sensei called him kun. Ever. His eyes narrowed in concern as he looked up at the ceiling, waiting for her to speak.

_C'mon, Hotaru, tell him already. You can't chicken out now, he knows something's up._

She just couldn't bring herself to listen to her inner voice, and they sat in silence for at least five minutes. Naruto, still sleepy, was about to drift off into a peaceful repose when he realized she was about to speak. He sat up and looked at her, waiting.

She looked up, inhaling. Strange silver met cerulean as she asked, "Naruto... What were you told about your parents?"

Naruto flinched. This was the last thing he'd expected coming from his sensei, and he wondered bleakly just how much she knew about him. "I was told that my mother died in childbirth, and I've never heard anything about my father."

"Childbirth..." Hotaru closed her eyes against the flood of tears trying to escape. She continued, voice slightly shaky. "Did you know that that was a lie? Is a lie..."

Now, this was unexpected. Here was his newfound sensei, coming to him at two in the frickin morning, and telling him that everything he'd been forced to believe as a child was a lie. Growing concerned, Naruto leaned towards the woman and asked, "Have you been drinking, sensei?"

"N-no, that's not it, I..." He suddenly realized that she was trying her best not to burst into tears. His eyes widened in shock as he wondered what had happened to her to put her in this state. "I've got to tell you the truth... since n-nobody around here seems c-capable of d-doing so..."

When she chuckled darkly, Naruto got even more worried. "Did you get hit over the head, Hotaru-sensei? Maybe we oughta go to the hospital... Are you bleeding?"

She shook her head, still trying to keep from crying. "Mom..."

"What?" He asked, leaning in closer to her. She'd murmured something so softly he hadn't been able to hear it.

Hotaru opened her eyes and looked up at him then, finally letting the tears free. "I... I'm your mo-mother, Naruto."

_(Hehehe, cliffhangers... I like...)_

* * *

Hinata was lying on her back in the small dark room, smiling slightly. Yesterday had been a day to die for. She had spent the entire afternoon with Naruto-kun. She giggled softly to herself, still unable to believe it.

Glancing at her bedside table, the neon numbers 2:56 burned themselves into her eyes. She hadn't been able to get to sleep last night, so she'd just laid there in her bed all night and thought about that afternoon. She kept going back to the horrible story Naruto had told her about his childhood. No parents... and no family... Hinata had always wished for a smaller family, or one that wasn't so bent on following the rules. After hearing Naruto's story, however, she began to think that maybe having such a large family wasn't so bad after all. She wasn't alone, however lonely she may feel, and Naruto had really been alone his entire life.

Wiping a tear away from her eye, she turned over and tried to go to sleep when something hit her window with a dull _thunk._

Hinata sat bolt upright, heart hammering. What had just hit her window? A shuriken, maybe? Was somebody trying to kidnap her again? Quickly she activated her Byakugan and looked around. She saw only one person outside her bedroom window, and she recognized the odd swirls in his chakra at once.

Letting the veins beside her eyes fade, she saw another object flying towards her window. A rock. Was he throwing rocks at her window? Did he want to talk to her? Blinking in confusion, she pushed the window up and looked out. Sure enough, two stories down, Naruto stood with a handful of rocks. It seemed like he really wanted to talk to her: the next rock he'd been preparing to throw was about the size of a golf ball.

"Naruto-k-kun? What... How d-did you... Wh-why-"

"-I needed to talk to you," He interrupted her in mid sentence. He dropped all of the rocks and began shuffling his feet.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked, immediately knowing something was wrong. Naruto looked deflated-- he stood with his shoulders slumped, head bowed, and never, not once had Hinata ever seen Naruto shuffle his feet.

He looked up at her then, and her heart dropped out of her chest. His eyes were red and puffy, and he murmured one word to her: "..Please..."

She pulled her head back inside and activated her Byakugan again. Nobody was in the main building, and even her father, who would sometimes remain awake throughout the night, was fast asleep in his chambers. Satisfied, she quickly locked her door and crossed the room to her window, pulling herself up onto the sill and launching herself out. She landed almost catlike on the ground, and was surprised at the fluidity with which she had acted. She was even more surprised, however, when Naruto grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her shoulder.

_Dear Gods, please don't let me faint, _She thought, unable to move. He began to sob into her shoulder, wracking heaves that nearly left him breathless. Suddenly she found she had the strength to wrap her arms around his trembling frame, wanting to protect him from whatever had put him in this state. Easing down onto her knees, she brought him down into a more comfortable position and activated her Byakugan for the third time that night, scanning their surroundings once to make sure they were alone. Upon finding they were, she dropped her bloodlimit and began to rub the boy's back, whispering soothing words of comfort into his ear.

As he cried himself out into her shoulder, she suddenly realized that she was angry. Angrier than she'd ever been. She wanted to hunt down whoever was responsible for making Naruto-kun this miserable and give them the most savage beating of their lives. She had never thought about such things, but she'd never been in love with this weeping blonde in her arms more than she was now, and she figured that you can never tell what you're capable of doing when you're acting on love.

After what seemed like ages, Naruto found he had the strength to lift his head from her shoulder. As she gazed into those watery blue pools, she smiled sadly at him. "Hi, there."

"Hi-Hinata-chan, I..." Naruto suddenly found he was incapable of words as he realized what she was wearing. She was dressed in a simple pale pink nightgown, and it revealed her maturing frame like the bulky tan coat had never done. Hinata noticed what he was doing, and she blushed a deep shade of crimson. "H-hai, N-Na-Naruto-kun?"

_C'MON, YOU RETARD, STOP STARING AT HER AND TELL HER WHAT YOU CAME HERE FOR!! _An inside voice screamed inside his head, and with more difficulty than there should've been he tore his eyes away from her body and forced himself to focus on her eyes instead. "Uh, see, I-I... My mom isn't dead, Hinata."

"What?" Hinata asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "B-but I thought you said sh-she died in-"

"Childbirth, yeah, I know," Naruto finished, having a hard time keeping himself from getting lost in those twin lavender pools. "That's what I thought happened. But, she's alive and she's... Hotaru-s-sensei."

And with that, he began to tell the story the woman had told him, beginning from where she had began, almost two years before he was born...

* * *

Hotaru grimaced up at the sunlit sky, wishing it would rain but knowing the act was futile. _It was never this hot back home, _she thought, wiping sweat from her brow. _But I guess that shouldn't be surprising, considering we were always buried in snow. _Though she was wearing a white tank top and a pair of light blue capris, she was still burning up as she trudged up the road towards the village. She hoped she could get her water canteens filled soon so she could get the hell out of here as quickly as possible.

As she approached the gates, two guards walked towards her. "State your name and your business here in Konohagakure!" One of them barked, voice deep and gruff.

Blinking in surprise, she thought, _Wow, Konoha, huh? Didn't think I was that far from home. Ah well. _With a smal bow, she said, "My name is Hotaru Nanashi, and I only desire to refill my water canteens for the journey ahead of me. I mean no harm to this village or to its inhabitants." This was why she hated hidden villages: they were always so paranoid, always thinking everyone was out to get them. She could barely stand it.

The two gruards looked at each other, and the other one said, "Reveal your weapons." His voice was higher than the other's, and he seemed a little less commanding.

Sighing, Hotaru pulled out the few kunai and shuriken she had left. The two men inspected the objects in her hands, and she guessed that these guys were two of the village's ANBU officers. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the gruff one said, "You may pass."

Hotaru waited to breathe a sigh of relief until the gates closed behind her. The ANBU ninjas here were just as paranoid as the ones back home, she thought, always ready to attack you without asking questions if they dub you a threat. Shaking her head, she began walking into the village, looking around wonderingly. She soon found herself being led along dreamily by the smell of fresh food wafting from somewhere in the village. Her stomach rumbled loudly, causing a few villagers who were walking past her to look up in surprise. _Food.. I need food... _She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, when she had stopped in a village not too far from here. She followed the scent until she found herself outside of a shop called Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

Scrunching up her nose, she remembered the ramen she'd had as a child. _It was always cold and tasteless... but it never smelt like this.. _Her stomach grumbled, telling her it needed some kind of nourishment, and it needed it now. Grimacing, she ducked under the cloth covering the doorway, thinking _Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least _try _some of this village's ramen..._

The shop was deserted except for a young woman sitting alone at the bar. Hotaru sat at the bar, a few stools away from the woman, and called out, "Ano, excuse me, sir?"

A young man wearing an apron approached her, grinning as he wiped his hands with a cloth. "Good morning, ma'am. I'm Teuchi, the owner of this ramen stand. I've never seen you around here before, you new?"

"Hai, just passing through," She replied, smiling. This man was kind of cute, and he didn't look very much older than she was. "I'm Hotaru."

"Hajimemashite, Hotaru," He said, smiling even wider. "Do you want something?"

"Ano, yes. Can I try the... miso ramen?"

"Comin' right up!"

As the man dissapeared to go make the ramen, the woman sitting at the bar looked over at Hotaru and smiled. "Konnichiwa."

Hotaru smiled over at the woman. "Hi, there. What's your name?"

"Hyuga Aiko," The woman replied, bowing a little. Hotaru returned the bow, and then noticed that the woman didn't have food before her, she had a drawing tablet. On it, Hotaru could just see the beginnings of a beautiful scene in a sakura field. The detail put into the sketch was amazing.

"Wow, that's really good," Hotaru breathed, hopping off of her stool and moving over to the seat next to Aiko. "Did you draw that?"

"H-hai, arigato," Aiko replied, blushing slightly. This new woman seemed very nice, and she was really pretty with her bright red hair. It was a shame that she was just passing through. "Where do you hail from, Miss?"

"Oh, please, don't call me Miss," Hotaru said, rolling her eyes. "Miss was my mother's name. Call me Hotaru, Nanashi Hotaru."

"No name firefly," Aiko breathed, translating her name. "Wow, your name is really pretty, Hotaru."

Scratching the back of her head, Hotaru smiled. "Well, yours isn't too bad, either. Hey, isn't the Hyuga supposed to be some really noble clan with a really powerful bloodlimit?"

Aiko nodded. "The Byakugan. My husband, Hiashi, has taught me all about it. If you wanted, I could tell you about it, sometime..." Her voice trailed off and she looked back down at her tablet as she realized that this woman would probably not be here after today. She would go on to meet other people, visit other villages, and she would never see her newfound friend again.

To both women's surprise, Hotaru said, "I don't know, I was thining about sticking around for a little while, you know, rest a little. It's been such a long time since I've had a stable place to live, and its really been a long time since I made a new friend." The shy woman blushed a little, and Hotaru smiled. She didn't know what had come over her.

_What happened to getting the hell out of this place? _Her inner voice cried.

_Hey, I could really use someone to talk to, _She thought, mentally pushing the voice away. _Plus, would it really be such a bad thing if I decided to settle down for a while? Really, I think it's a pretty good idea._

"Here's your miso ramen, Hotaru," Teuchi said, suddenly appearing before them and setting a bowl of steaming noodles before her.

She smiled seductively up at him. "Arigato, Teuchi-chan." He grinned coyly back at her and walked away.

Suddenly she realized that Aiko was giggling. "What?" She asked, blinking in confusion.

Aiko looked up, smiling widely. "Teuchi's kind of taken... his girlfriend's pregnant."

Hotaru felt sick as she began to eat.

* * *

"Aiko-san, where are we going?" Hotaru grumbled, climbing up the rocky hill after her new friend. After her embarassing breakfast, she had asked Aiko if there was anything exciting to do in this village of hers. Aiko had nodded, and now they were climbing up the side of a big brown rock.

"We're going to sit on top of the Hokage monuments," Aiko called back, about two feet above Hotaru. "It really has a wonderful view, even if the climb up is a little difficult."

"You know, when I asked for something exciting to do, I didn't think we were going to do something so exciting as sitting on some old guy's head," Hotaru replied, making the blue haired woman giggle.

"Just a little farther-- ah!" Aiko suddenly climbed up over the top of the wall, and Hotaru followed, slightly out of breath. Aiko stood up, brushing off her kimono. "Hotaru-san, this is-- oh!" Aiko stopped as she noticed that they weren't alone.

Not knowing what Aiko had stopped for, Hotaru grumbled, "I could barely scale that wall with what I've got on! How in the hell can you do it in a kimono?!"

"Ano, Hotaru-san, we have company," Aiko murmured nervously, bowing slightly at someone Hotaru couldn't see.

"Huh?" Hotaru stood up and brushed herself off, and then walked over beside Aiko. Her eyes widened as she saw who was lounging on top of the second Hokage's skull.

There were three men sitting on the rock head. The first was older than the others, and his white hair and wise eyes attested to that. He was instantly recognizable as one of the three legendary senin, Jiraiya. The boy sitting beside him was probably about 11, and he had spiky silver hair and a cloth pulled up over his face so that only one eye was visible. The final man... Hotaru's heart skipped a beat as she laid eyes opon him. He was blonde, wild hair sticking up everywhere above his forehead protector, swaying ever so slightly in the breeze. He wore a simple white t-shirt and black pants with knee pads sewn into them, and over the shirt he wore a Chuunin vest. Through the fabric of his shirt she could see he was very toned, and she repressed a shiver as she thought about tracing a finger over those well defined lines.

"Well! Good morning, ladies!" The blonde one said, grinning from ear to ear as he saw them. Gesturing to the rock beside him, he continued, "Would you like to sit on the Second's head, because I'm getting a bit tired of him, myself... I think I would rather sit on good 'ole Shodai." With that, he stood and launched himself over the gap in between the rocks and landed on the first's head, plopping down on it. "Ah, now that's better."

"Does _he _have a pregnant girlfriend?" Hotaru whispered to Aiko. Smiling, the Hyuga shook her head and giggled. Hotaru grinned and stepped forward, arms crossed. "Hmm, well, I'm not sure who I want to sit on."

Patting the rock beside him, the blonde said, "This spot's free, if you like."

"Oh, come on, Arashi, let the lady breathe," Jiraiya teased, chuckling. Dark eyes seemingly gazing through Hotaru, he continued, "I think you are the perfect model for my new book, young lady! What's your name?" Instantly he held a notepad and a pen in each hand, eyes sparkling.

The blonde, Arashi, shook his head. "Once a pervert, always a pervert."

"Hey, I'm not perverted, I'm inspired!"

"Call it what you want, Ero Senin. I still say you're perverted."

Aiko began giggling incessantly into the sleeve of her kimono while Hotaru laughed out loud. Even the kid, who's eyes seemed haunted by a previous loss, smirked underneath his face mask. _Ahh, Obito... They're still the same._

Finally Hotaru managed to get out her name. "I'm Nanashi Hotaru. I'm delighted to finally meet one of the legedary Senin, something I didn't think I'd ever accomplish." She bowed slightly, and Jiraiya nodded, eyes stil alight.

"Hmm..." Jiraiya's eyes seemed to burn with excitement as he glanced from between Arashi and Hotaru. Arashi was already smiling like a jackass, and it seemed as if the woman liked him too. Then an idea popped up inside his mind, and he grinned from ear to ear. "Hey, Mrs. Hyuga, you wouldn't mind taking me to visit Hiashi, would you? I really need to ask him a few questions about _the plot _of my newest story. Would you-?" He put emphasis on the words 'the plot', trying to imply that they needed to leave the two alone to get aquainted. He didn't worry that the woman had been sent to asassinate any of them-- she wasn't wearing a headband, and he was confident that Arashi could handle himself if he were attacked.

Aiko blushed slightly at being adressed by the Legendary Senin, and then she caught his glance. She looked between Arashi and Hotaru once before smiling lightly herself. "I would be honored to escort you to visit with my husband. I'm sure he will enjoy an unexpected visit. Hotaru-san, I will be back soon, don't worry."

"What? But, Aiko-san-" Hotaru's reply was drowned out by Jiraiya's louder voice.

"Kakashi, would you like to accompany us?" The Toad Senin asked, raising his voice.

The boy shook his head, standing. "Nah, I'm gonna go visit Rin. See ya, sensei." He winked at Arashi, and then dissapeared in a puff of smoke.

Jiraiya stood and leapt over to where Aiko stood, ignoring the gazes from both Arashi and Hotaru. "Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" With that, the two began to make their way down the side of the monument, walking down the slightly steep hill together.

After watching them go, Hotaru turned back to Arashi, smirking. "Wow, they clear out fast, don't they?"

Arashi laughed, nodding. Patting the rock beside him again, he said, "Well, seeing as how we are supposed to get to know each other now, why don't we get right to it?"

"Ok." She jumped over to the first's head and plopped down beside him, smiling. "I guess we should start with our names, huh?"

"I guess." They both chuckled, and then he said, "I'm Uzumaki Arashi, and I'm twenty six years old. I've lived in this village for my entire life, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. I am of Jonin rank, I was tutored by the old pervert who just left, and the slightly sour kid with the spiky silver hair is my apprentice. His name is Hatake Kakashi. Don't take his attitude to heart, we're getting over a major loss... His teammate, Obito Uchiha was killed a little over a month ago. Kakashi and his other teammate Rin both took it really hard."

"Gomenasai," Hotaru breathed, staring down at the village with a darkened expression clouding her countenance. She knew how hard it was to lose someone from experience.

"Eh, wasn't your fault, so don't be sorry," Arashi shrugged, trying to hide the pain that was all too evident in his cerulean eyes. "Ano, it's your turn." He smiled at her, throwing his arms behind his head.

She took a deep breath and began. "My name is Nanashi Hotaru. I'm twenty four years old and I come from the Yukigakure. I am also of Jonin rank."

"Really? A Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Snow," Arashi breathed, and then frowned. "If you're a ninja, then where's your-"

"Headband? Chuunin vest? In my pack," She answered, pulling the bag from her shoulders and setting in in her lap. "I don't like to wear them because then people might recognize me."

To his confused expression, she dug in her pack and pulled out her forehead protector. She put it on her head and tied it in the back, and suddenly he gasped. "You look like-"

"A Tori, yes," She finished, voice quiet. "My real name is Tori Hotaru, and I am the last of a noble clan from the Yukigakure. I don't like to associate myself with my past because... of probably pretty obvious reasons."

Arashi didn't know what to say. He'd heard the stories as a child of the great Tori clan, of their entire clan's blood contract with the legendary heron, Aosaginohi. He'd also heard about how the entire clan besides the clan leader's wife and any children had to swear loyalty to their leader, signing their names on a scroll. The contract states that whenever the leader dies, the members who signed their names on the contract will also die via a powerful jutsu on the scroll. To avoid that, the other members of the clan protect the clan leader with their lives.

"I was the Tori clan heiress, and I was only eight when my father contracted a disease," Hotaru said, voice still hushed. "The deadly sickness gripped his heart before any of us had any time to react, and he was killed quickly. The members that had signed away their lives... they all dropped dead, like birds getting shot out of the air. They hadn't thought of my father catching any kind of deadly sickness when they signed the scroll. Only my mother and I were left, because at the time I was the only child in the house.

"It crushed my mother. I kept telling her that we could rebuild the clan again, if we really worked at it, but she would have none of it. 'So ends the great Tori, a powerful yet inhumane clan', she would say." Hotaru bowed her head, shaking slightly. "... Three years later, the same year that I became a Chuunin, my mom... she committed jisatsu, right before my eyes." She began to shiver uncontrollably, the coldness of that day gripping her heart once again. "...I stayed in the Yuki for two more years, until I became a Jonin. Afterwards, I left. I had become more or less of a recluese anyway, and the villagers didn't know how to keep me from sinking into my own depression. So, one day, I summoned Aosaginohi and told her to get me the hell away from the village, away from the memories, away from everything..." She barely noticed when he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, trying to steady her. "That was the last time I ever used the summoning."

Arashi's eyes widened. "Nani? You haven't summoned Aosaginohi for _ten years?"_

"Too many memories," Hotaru whispered, looking at him. He couldn't repress his own shudder as he looked into her silvery eyes: cold, haunted by the tragedy that had been her past. He understood now why she never wore her headband or why she had changed her surname: it hurt too much to own up to her past.

Not really thinking about anything except comforting the haunted woman, Arashi twisted himself sideways so that he was facing Hotaru. He pulled her into a tight embrace, laying the side of her head against his chest and resting his chin on top of her silken red hair. It was his nature to protect all who was hurt or in turmoil, and this was no different. He wondered why the feeling was so _intense, _though, for this woman whom he'd just met.

Finally, after about ten minutes of absolute silence, Hotaru giggled against his chest. "Ano, Arashi...?"

"Hmm?" Suddenly he realized how tightly he was holding her to his chest. He quickly let go of her, both of them chuckling uneasily. "Ano, gomenasai, Hotaru... So, hmm, what now?"

"Well, seeing as how Aiko-san isn't back yet, we could continue getting to know each other," Hotaru replied. She reddened as Arashi looked at her with a wide-eyed expression. "No no no, not like that! I mean _talking, _Arashi!"

"Oh. Hehehe..."

So they talked. Arashi told her about how he was sort of interested in becoming Hokage, and Hotaru told him a lot about what she had seen in her many years of traveling. She also teased him about being 'a chip off the old pervert', which made him blush and become somewhat defensive. The sun set, and they were still conversing, and finally Aiko came back, apolegizing for leaving them up on the monument for all this time and saying "I didn't really think you two would still be talking!" Afterwards, Aiko, her husband Hiashi and his brother Hzashi invited the two over to their house for dinner, which was sort of akward. That night Arashi pulled some strings and managed to get Hotaru a decent apartment, and she decided that she really wouldn't mind staying for a while.

* * *

_A year later..._

Arashi trembled slightly, both nervous and excited at the same time. Jiraiya, standing beside him, whispered something into his ear, but all he could think about was how funny his old sensei looked in a suit. Kakashi and Rin were there, too, Kakashi being the ring bearer and Rin the flower girl. As always, Kakashi looked bored, but Arashi thought he could see a slight twinkle in the boy's visible eye as the organ began to play. Oh, Gods, the organ! It was starting. Okay, Arashi, remember the labor breathing...

_In, out._

_In, out._

_In, o... Oh, wow..._

Momentarily forgetting to breathe, Arashi was stunned when Rin began to lead the main attraction up the aisle, grinning from ear to ear at his reaction.

Here she came, walking up the aisle in a pristine white diamond-encrusted gown. Hands clasped before her, fingers entwined, she looked serene, the exact opposite of his own demeanor. Gazing at her, he felt himself calm down immediately as if the air around her seeped tranquility. The entire chapel seemed to be affected by this one woman: the organ player seemed to play the melody with more feeling, more passion than he had before, and everyone in the pews smiled as she passed. Even the ramen shop owner's three month old daughter, Ayume, seemed relaxed by her presence. The squirming child had suddenly smiled, and a few minutes later was asleep in her father's arms.

She reached the altar, and the preacher came and began reading off the oaths. Arashi couldn't keep his eyes off of her face, which was hidden by a veil. He concentrated all of his soul on her, thinking the word _aishiteru_ at her, wondering if she heard him. He was so enraptured by her presence that Kakashi had to nudge him to get him to take her ring, causing him to blush and a few of the audience members to chuckle. He slid the gold band onto her finger, murmuring the words "I do." She did the same, and when he finally lifted the veil his chest grew heavy with the love he felt for this woman. Not only was he estatic over his marriage, he had been chosen to be Hokage that very same day.

This was the happiest day of Arashi's life.

* * *

_A year later..._

This was the worst day of Hotaru's life.

At around two in the morning, she had gone into labor, waking her peacefully sleeping husband. It was too late to get to the hospital now, so they called Jiraiya and had him come over to help them deliver it. After about an hour of screaming, Hotaru finally was able to get the baby out, and the pain was instantly forgotten as she laid eyes on her newborn son. His face was scrunched up in a wail, and his already spiky blonde hair was wet with blood. Jiraiya danced around the room while Arashi washed the boy off, wrapping him up in a pale blue towel. Suddenly she began to have contractions again, and before Arashi could investigate what the problem was, a scream came from outside. Handing the boy to Jiraiya, he ran out of his two story house and was met with a frightening sight: the nine tailed demon Kyubi was staring at him from the top of the six foot wall that went around his house, just staring. The creature wetted its lips with its serpentine tongue before turning and bounding away into the village. Another scream resounded from the other side of the wall, and Arashi thought of only one thing to do: get Hotaru out of here, and seal the demon inside someone. But who in the village would be young enough not to be affected by the immense power the demon contained?

The answer was obvious.

Inside the house, Jiraiya was preparing to deliver a second child with the boy still in his hands when Arashi stormed in, taking the firstborn away from his sensei. Not waiting for a reply from Jiraiya, he took a pair of scissors and _snip! _The umbilical cord fell from the child's stomach, severed. Surprised by her husband's rash actions, Hotaru looked up at him as he bent over her, quickly pecking her forehead. "I want you to escape the village. I don't want you to stay here. Get away, run away, we'll say you didn't make it through the delivery. Jiraiya, as soon as you get her cleaned up, get her away from here, you understand?" The Toad Senin just stared at him, and the Yondaime ran out of the room with the baby, never to be seen by either of them again.

After delivering a second child, a surprise to them both, Jiraiya did as instructed and carried the weakened Hotaru out of the house, who carried the second born in her arms. For some reason, Jiraiya thought it was best if they weren't seen by any villagers, so he snuck her through dark alleyways and the deserted morning streets. When he got to the outer wall, he jumped it and he began leaping through the trees, trying to follow his student's request. When they got to a small hill that allowed them to see over the treetops back towards the village, Hotaru demanded that they stop there. As they watched, a red orange mist fell over the village. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the mist dissapated, as did the cries of injured people. Jiraiya left Hotaru, deciding he should go see what had happened. Hotaru stayed there on the small hill, cuddling her second born to her chest and praying to anyone who could hear her that her husband and son were alive. She didn't realize that tears were spilling out of her eyes until the baby made a small surprised sound when a tear splashed onto its little cheek.

It was late afternoon when the Toad Senin returned to her, grim look on his countenance. He told her that the Yondaime was no more, but her son had lived. Apparently, Arashi had sealed the demon attacking the village into her son's navel, trapping himself in Death's belly for eternity in the process. Hotaru wanted to return to the village to get her son, but Jiraiya shook his head. He'd told the Third Hokage everything that Arashi had said to tell him, even the part about Hotaru dying in childbirth, and the Hokage had already made a speech to the villagers explaining everything. Jiraiya promised her that he would watch over her son, and she disagreed. He promised her that he wouldn't let anything hurt her son. Again, she disagreed. She didn't want to leave her son there, with no parents. She felt hollow inside, and the shock of losing her husband had not sunk in entirely yet. Finally he got her to promise that she'd leave ON ONE CONDITION. "Tell him about me," She whispered, willing the tears to fall even as nothing leaked out of her eyes. "Name him Naruto, and tell him about his father and I. Tell him everything, and tell him that I will come back for him." Tears stung at Jiraiya's eyes as he agreed, knowing that that was a promise he couldn't keep. All of the adults in the village had been forbidden to say a word to the blonde boy, even the legendary toad senin himself. He helped her and her newborn baby get to a village close by, and put the two of them in a hospital there. After hearing her promise one more time that she wouldn't come back, he left her there. Alone.

* * *

As Naruto finished his story, Hinata realized that her cheeks were wet. Touching a hand to her face, she looked over at him and saw that he was crying again, too. She didn't know what to say in reply to his incredible story, and he was the first one to speak after he finished.

"It's okay... you know, if you don't want to be my teammate anymore," He whispered, voice barely audible.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Naruto-kun, why w-would I n-n-not want t-to be your t-teammate anymore?" _I love you, _she wanted to say, but nothing came out as she mouthed the words to him. Unluckily for her, his eyes were shut.

"...Because of what I am..."

It clicked. He thought she was going to shreik and run away from him because of the demon inside of him, the demon that his father had sacrificed himself to stop. She reached over and pulled him towards her, embracing him again. "Oh, Naruto-kun, I would never even think of not being your teammate because of that."

Both he and she were surprised at the lack of stutters in her sentence, but Naruto was even more surprised at what she had said. "Nani?" He said into her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist, daring to hope.

Smiling, she stroked his hair and said, "You are Uzumaki Naruto. _Not_ Kyubi. You saved this village alongside your father, and knowing what you did... how you suffered to protect this village only makes me even happier to be your friend." _I couldn't not love you because of that, _she willed herself to say. Yet again, she couldn't form the words.

He raised his head from her shoulder and looked at her, into her eyes. After a moment, his disbelieving face split into that wild fox like grin, and she now realized how much he looked like a fox himself. "Hinata-chan, I... Arigato."

Without saying anything, Hinata did the probably bravest thing that she had ever done. Leaning in, she pecked him on the cheek before letting him go and standing up. "You'd better get home. I'll see you later, Naruto-kun." Without waiting for a reply, she immediately jumped back up two stories into her bedroom window.

He bounded home on the rooftops, happier than he thought he could ever be. Hotaru-- no, his mother's story had saddened him to no extent, but talking to Hinata had, as he expected, helped him feel better. And the kiss at the end-- it had made him forget about his mother's entire visit. It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect morning.

* * *

AHHHH!!! What did you think of that chap? PLEASE, REVIEW QUICKLY!! I'M DYING HERE!!!

**MAKE SURE TO READ THE REVIEWS, I POSTED A QUESTION FOR ALL OF MY FANS!! PLEASE ANSWER IT!**

_Chapter 8 Preview: Hotaru's got a new skill to teach. What will it be?? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!_


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